How to Choose your Prenatal Care Provider
You’re newly pregnant – or planning to start trying. How do you know who to choose as your prenatal care provider? Doctor or Midwife? Hospital or Birth Center? Who do you ask; your friend or a facebook group? Is there a right answer? There are so many things to consider that you might just choose your current Woman’s Health Provider – or just the top Google hit (gasp!)
When I found myself pregnant for the first time I chose to go with my current OBGYN. I liked her, and she was in a great practice (I assumed). The very first appointment I had with her I expressed to her that my desire was to have an intervention free birth (no epidural and no medications if possible). Her response was ‘we’ll see’. I was taken aback actually. I was not so sure about this anymore. I felt unsupported from my very first appointment and in my gut it just didn’t feel right. Around 15 weeks I met a woman (now my best friend) who had 2 prior natural births and she shared with me her experience with non supportive providers – and that I would need to go in prepared. She laid it all out there – not to scare me but to inform me. She mentioned to me that I also had a choice to change providers and location if I wanted. I quickly came to the conclusion that a hospital birth didn’t fit my desires. I was healthy and low risk so I went for a tour at the Local Birth Center and we switched care almost immediately. We went on to have a low intervention, natural birth with my first son. I went through a provider switch and I am so thankful I did. I was one of the lucky ones to get the birth I desired on the first try. So many of the women I meet wish they could have gone back and done their research and chosen the best provider for them and their birth desires. When I meet a woman who is just starting her journey to pregnancy or who is newly pregnant I want to give this this advice as far as choosing their provider:
{ONE}
Sit down and consider what is IMPORTANT to you for your birth (other than a healthy mom and baby – that’s a given!).
- Is your pregnancy high risk?
- Do you want an out of hospital birth or in hospital birth?
- Are you planning an epidural or medication free or low intervention birth?
- Are you planning a VBAC?
- Is access to a tub for laboring in the water or having a waterbirth important to you?
- Delayed cord clamping – have you considered if you want this?
- Is distance to your home a factor for you?
- How do you feel about non-emergent induction?
- Do you want your baby’s bath delayed?
- Think about what level NICU you feel comfortable with.
- Cesarean – planned or not – what do you want available to you?
Take all the answers from the above points and create a list – For example… I am looking for a provider who delivers in a hospital close to *City*, who is supportive of low intervention and will not push an induction before 42 weeks.
{TWO}
Take your list and turn to trusted friends asking who they would recommend and why. Make sure you mention to them what your desires are. When you start to get some recommendations make sure you ask why they liked them or the location so much.I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to hear one local hospital recommended time after time because ‘their food is amazing’. Sure food sounds important – but if you end up with a cesarean (and it is possible their percent is up over 30%) then you don’t even get to enjoy their food for 24-48 hours.
{THREE}
If you haven’t quite found what it is you’re looking for – ask a Moms Facebook Group. Still be sure to include what it is most important to you. And challenge the responses – if you don’t think your goals align move on to the next recommendation.
{FOUR}
Goo for interviews and tours! This is important! You want to make sure you feel comfortable with your provider and location. Ask the important questions (what is your transfer rate [for out of hospital births], what is your cesarean rate and do you offer clear drapes if desired, how do you feel about induction before 42 weeks, what is standard operating procedure after baby’s birth, what kind of lactation support do you offer, etc).
{BONUS}
Understand that you have options and you can switch providers if you feel like the one you currently have is not the right fit. I did it – and many of my friends and family have as well. This is your birth and you get a say in it as well.
Your voice matters.
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