Choosing a good care provider is NOT as simple as:

Midwife = low intervention

OB = high intervention

Some midwives are VERY intervention happy and some OBs are very LOW intervention.  So you need to ask questions of ANY care provider to see if they will support you in the birth you want.

I have had students comment, “They are only going to be there when the baby is actually born, so does it really matter?”

The answer is a resounding yes!

Their impact on your birth starts before your birth even begins.  I moderate the Hypnobabies Yahoo Group and it is sad for me to hear the things some members are told by their care providers, sometimes starting early in their pregnancy.  A common thing is, “Your baby is getting too big.”   I have a whole page on Big Baby Bull because I kept hearing more and more moms talking about this.  And more often than not, doctors who state that concern will soon be pressuring you to induce, which begins a whole cascade of interventions that you may not have wanted for your birth.

Your care provider has a big impact on your birth.  And if you are having a homebirth, you need to make sure she is a good match for you.  You will be one-on-one with her in an intimate setting, for not only long, in-depth prenatal appointments but probably for the majority of your birthing time as well-and that can be uncomfortable if her personality rubs you the wrong way.  Or you just don’t feel comfortable with her for whatever reason.

How can you know if your care provider is a good fit for you?

ASK your care provider!  Ask every question you can think of.  Tomorrow I will post a great sample list of questions. The earlier you ask your care provider these questions, the sooner you will know if he or she is are a good fit for you.  It may seem silly asking them at 20 weeks into your pregnancy about when they usually induce, but it is better to know the answers at 20 weeks, rather than when you are 39 weeks.

And, if you don’t like the answers you get, then SWITCH!  And if you just don’t like the way they answer the questions, or if they try to scare you instead of having a conversation with you, those are good warning signs that they will probably try to scare you into interventions during your birth.  Remember, it is never too late to switch.  I have had doula clients switch at 37 weeks, but I know moms who have switched even later.  Don’t think, “I will just wait until my next birth.”  Follow your intuition on this one.  If you don’t feel comfortable with your care provider, find a new one.  You will be glad you did.  To learn more about choosing your care provider, click here.