Questions to Ask Your Care Provider
- What is your general philosophy about pregnancy and birth?
- Do you let us do whatever we want during labor? (Food, positions, water, etc.)
- What is your education and training as a midwife/doctor?
- How many years have you been practicing?
- Are you a mother yourself? How old are your children now?
- How were your children born?
- Do you work alone or with a partner or assistant? If you work with someone, what is their experience?
- How many births have you attended as the primary caregiver?
- What is your experience with breech births? How many have you attended?
- What is your experience with twins? How many have you attended?
- What is your experience with VBACS? How many have you attended?
- Will you support my plan for birth?
- How many births are you attending now? Do you have a maximum, and how do you manage to avoid too many commitments?
- If I am planning a home birth, do you come to my home any time before I go into labor? Do you provide supplies or literature to help us prepare?
- How often will I see you? What do your checkups consist of?
- What are your guidelines concerning weight gain, nutrition, prenatal vitamins, and exercise? What are your standards for pre-eclampsia?
- Do you require that I take a childbirth education class? Do you teach such a class?
- Who takes over for you if you go on vacation or get sick?
- Do you attend births in a birthing center, home or hospital?
- How do you handle emergencies? Under what circumstances would you transfer?
- What is your transfer rate?
- Would you stay with me in the hospital?
- Do you require that I see a physician during my pregnancy even if everything is all right?
- Do you have guidelines or restrictions about who can give birth at home?
- Under what circumstances do you induce labor with pitocin?
- What is your protocol to induce labor naturally?
- What is your c-section rate?
- What is your episitomy rate?
- What kind of equipment do you bring to a birth?
- Are you permitted to administer any drugs during labor?
- How many people are allowed to be around?
- When should I call you after my labor begins?
- Do you wait until the cord has stopped pulsating before it gets cut?
- Will you allow my partner to be as active at the birth as he desires?
- How much time do you allow for the delivery of the placenta?
- What are your fees and what do they include?
- Can you submit your charges to my insurance company?
- What payment arrangements do you make?
- Have you ever had to resuscitate a baby?
- Do you examine the baby after birth?
- Do you give eyedrops or shots to the baby?
- Do you have a pediatrician you work with or recommend?
- Will you help me with breastfeeding?
- How do you feel about circumcision?
- How often do you come to see me after I give birth?
- Do you provide or know of anyone who will help new mothers after birth?