Health Topics for Pregnancy and Childbirth

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Department of Pediatrics

UI Family Care Center

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Choosing a healthcare provider for you pregnancy

The birth of a child is an amazing, exciting, exhausting event in a woman's life. How do you choose a healthcare provider to share that experience with you and your family?

Here are a few things to consider:

• Know what you are looking for. Do you want a provider who is highly skilled in the technical aspects of birth? Do you want a provider who looks at the whole picture of your pregnancy, health, and family? Would you feel more comfortable with a male or female healthcare provider? Think about your needs.
• Find out what your choices are. In many communities, obstetricians, family physicians, and certified nurse-midwives deliver babies. An obstetrician is a doctor who has completed additional training, or residency, in women's healthcare. A family physician has completed a residency in family medicine. Family doctors can care for all members of a family. A certified nurse- midwife is a registered nurse who has completed additional training in caring for healthy women. Certified nurse-midwives work with physicians and deliver babies in hospitals and birth centers.
• Get recommendations. Check with your insurance for a list of providers. Ask your doctor, family, and friends who they would recommend. Ask them to be specific. What is it about a provider that makes them seem right? Decide if that is a quality you're looking for.
• Interview your top choices. Ask questions. Ask providers about their training. What is their experience? Where do they have hospital privileges? You need to know if that hospital is convenient for you.
• Is the provider in a group practice? Will you have the chance to meet the other midwives or doctors before the birth? Find out if your provider will be on call for you or if other providers share- call with them.
• What are the providers' basic beliefs about birth? Do they think of birth as a natural process? Will they encourage your family to be part of the pregnancy and birth experience? Do they recommend childbirth education classes?
• Trust yourself. Choose the provider you feel comfortable with. Ask yourself if this is the person you want at your baby's birth. Only you know if the relationship is right for you.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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