How to Pick A Doctor

This is an important time in your life and your baby's and you will need to have help from a health care professional for the next 7 months or so. Isn't it important to choose someone you can work with?

Try to interview at least 2 or 3 professionals to determine which is best for our style and wishes.

Why Type of Professional?

Your choice of health provider during pregnancy will probably fall into one or more of the following practitioners:

Obstetrician - professionally trained in the areas of female reproductive health, pregnancy, labor, and postpartum care and able to hand special situations and conditions during pregnancy

Family physicians - primary health care providers who treat people of all ages; they are well versed in obstetric and gynecological health and can be your doctor beyond pregnancy.

Midwife - professionally trained in the areas of pregnancy, labor, and the post-partum period and often provide more personalized care.

Doula - non-medical assistant who provides physical, emotional and informational support during pregnancy and childbirth. She should work with a an obstetrician or midwife.

The Interview

Before you see your doctor:

Write a list of all questions and ask them all!
Bring information about your medical history.
Read a book or some articles to have an idea of questions to ask and to start to get an idea of how you may want to birth.
Bring your partner or a friend to the appointment for a second opinion.

Questions to Ask The Practitioner

At which hospital(s) can you deliver? [Then be sure to interview that facility before you select the doctor or midwife you interviewed.]
What tests or procedures do you normally recommend in pregnancy? [Does the professional explain the test well to you?]
What childbirth classes do you recommend? What pregnancy books? [Do they provide material for you to read?]
How do I get in touch with you or your staff if I have a question or something is strange.
Do you routinely use interventions in labor or do you wait to see if they are needed? At what point to you talk about the inducing labor if necessary? [Does this agree with your philosophy?]
What type of medications are available during delivery (IV, epidural)?
Do you recommend them? Do you have anesthesiologists who only do obstetrical anesthesia? If I want a natural delivery, do you support that?
Who are your back up practitioners? Can I meet them?

Questions to Ask Yourself

Did they answer my questions completely? Do I feel comfortable or encouraged to ask questions or call with questions?
Do they treat me with respect (gave me complete attention, did not dismiss my questions or concerns, asked me questions)?
Are they willing to work with how I want to give birth (birthing room, with medication, all natural birth, etc.)?

You may not get everything you want in one person or office, so keep an open mind and decide which things are very important to you. I ditched my doctor 7 months into my second pregnancy because I just could not reach him or his staff for questions within a reasonable time. This made me very nervous since I had problems in my first pregnancy. The new doctor I found was very attentive and available but did not deliver in the hospital of my choice. Choosing a new doctor was still a better decision since I ended up having an emergency c-section.