Questions to Ask your Midwife, Family Doctor, or OB
For Pregnancy:
- Can I schedule a ‘no obligation’ interview with you before making the decision of a care provider?
- What tests/procedures do you routinely recommend during pregnancy? Are they optional?
- What books, media and other informational support do you provide for your patients?
- What childbirth education classes do you prefer? Why?
- Do I see you personally at every prenatal visit?
- Are there any circumstances that would require my care be transferred to someone else?
- Do you refer to complementary health practitioners, such as massage therapists, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc?
- What are your expectations of me?
For Childbirth:
- How do you support patient birth preferences/plans?
- For what reasons would you recommend artificial labor induction? What methods would be used?
- What doulas have you worked with? Who do you recommend?
- What are your personal birth statistics…vaginal births, cesareans, VBAC, spontaneous, induced, epidurals, etc?
For Postpartum:
- When will I see you after my baby’s birth?
- How many of your patients breastfeed, as recommended by AAP? Are breastfeeding at six weeks? Six months?
Additional Considerations:
- Make sure you receive concrete, definitive answers to your questions.
- “Differentiate between facts and feelings”. You need facts and evidence, not opinions.
- “Know it is Never to Late to Switch”. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable with your care provider, consider finding someone who makes you more at ease.
Information Sources:
– Henci Goer; http://www.hencigoer.com
– Robin Elise Weiss; http://www.pregnancy.about.com
