Top Questions to Ask Your OB/GYN or Midwife

The first box needing to be checked once you find out you’re pregnant is choosing a health provider that fits with your lifestyle, communication style, and overall vision for your birth. The two options you have are being under OB/GYN care or Midwifery care. Deciding between the two is as simple as knowing whether you’d like to give birth in a hospital setting or a birthing center/at home. If you’re not sure yet, it’s always best to do your research and gather more data to make an informed decision. Start by setting up appointments to interview both an OB and a Midwife. Check them both out! Learn more about their birth atmospheres, philosophies, and plan of care.

Here are my top 5 questions that will give you a basis of the care you can expect to receive from them. Get my FREE Pregnancy Planning Mini Guide to have access to my full list of the questions you should be asking providers.

1. What is your general philosophy on pregnancy and birth?

This is a basic question that should have a very broad answer. They should have a few points within their answer that you can then choose to ask them to elaborate on. Should anything feel “off” or weird within their answer to this question, ask them to speak further on it so you can be sure that you understand their stances and why they have these philosophies.

2. How long have you been practicing and how many births have you attended?

Most doctors and midwives have attended or assisted in many births long before they had their official titles, but it’s good to know just how many they’ve been a part of and how long they’ve been doing this. This will also give you insight into their knowledge base. There’s only so much you can learn about birth from a book or even attending a few births. Every pregnancy and birth is different. Make sure you’re hiring someone who will know how to support you no matter what may happen.

3. Do you work alone or with a partner? What is their experience? Will you attend my birth or does it depend on who’s on call?

This is a big one for some families who want to make sure that the person they’re hiring will 100% be the person catching their baby on The Big Day. Some families don’t mind if there’s a chance that a partner or other staff member will be present at their birth, but it’s best to know what you’re getting into so you can prepare.

4. Will you have patience to allow labor to progress on its own time, as long as baby and I are doing well?

Find out exactly how they feel about physiological birth and allowing your body to do what it’s made to do. Some providers may “rush” you during labor for one reason or another, but most of the time it’s unnecessary. They will monitor you and baby throughout your labor, and as long as everyone is doing well, there should be no reason to suggest any kind of intervention to “speed things along”. Labor and birth take time. Make sure they’re willing to be patient.

5. What would you consider a good reason to induce?

This is a big one, because every provider will likely have differing answers. Some may have a requirement of induction at 42 weeks, some may suggest early induction because your baby is measuring too big or too small. Know their rules and experience. No matter what their answer is, they should have evidence-based reasoning.

Download the Pregnancy Planning Mini Guide

When hiring an OB/GYN or Midwife, you should feel confident in their abilities, knowledge, and plan of care. Get all of your questions answered, establish a relationship with them, and go into your pregnancy and birth knowing you’ve got the best team around you.

For my full list of questions to ask your provider, along with other great pregnancy resources like my curated checklist of what to pack in your “Go Bag” and two shopping guides of all the best baby and postpartum products, download my FREE Pregnancy Planning Mini Guide.