 Questions
to ask yourself
If you are pregnant and trying to decide who is the best care provider
for you, these are some of the things that you might want to ask yourself:
- Where do I want to give birth?
- How do I feel about having an active role in making choices for
my health care?
- What sort of support networks do I have in my life right now to
help with my pregnancy and parenting?
- What messages or stories have I heard about birth from friends,
family, movies, and tv?
- How do my partner, family and friends feel about pregnancy, birth,
and maternity care providers?
- How do I feel about natural childbirth?
- What do I feel are my responsibilities for this pregnancy and
birth and what are my care providers?
Questions to ask a health care provider
You'll find some questions to ask a health care provider, compiled
by The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS), at: http://www.motherfriendly.org/resources/10Q/
Questions to ask a midwife
These questions are taken from the Pocket Guide to Midwifery Care
by Aviva Jill Romm, 1998.
- What is your training and experience?
- Why are you a midwife?
- What are your expectations of me and my family regarding self-care
and involvement?
- How often do we meet prenatally and what do we do at prenatal
visits?
- Do you work alone or with assistants? With other health care providers?
What are their qualifications?
- What equipment do you bring to births?
- What is your experience with complications? Have you had to resuscitate
a baby or stop a hemorrhage?
- How do you handle emergencies? Would you come to the hospital
with me?
- What are your fees? What is covered and what is not covered? Do
you take insurance?
- How many births do you do a month? Do you have a midwife to provide
back-up if two women go into labor at the same time?
- How do I reach you in an emergency or if I am in labor?
- When do you come to my home when I am in labor? What do you do?
How long do you stay?
- Do you provide postpartum care? What does this include? For how
long?
- What are your policies for unusual circumstances: breech babies,
twins, going overdue…?
- How does your personal/family life impact your availability?
- Can you provide me with references?
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