With more women looking to birth differently these days I see this question asked a lot. If you are looking to hire a midwife there are a few things to think about before you get to the interview stage. I think that we all want to choose a midwife like we have been choosing doctors over the past decades but that really isn’t an option if you want your needs met. If you choose your midwife by location, fees, and availability alone then you may be disappointed in the service you receive.
The first step to finding the right midwife for you is to know what it is that you want in your birth experience. Having a clear vision of your birth plan will help you find a midwife or traditional birth attendant that aligns with your beliefs, needs, and will support your choices. If you haven’t given this much thought I have something for you at the end of this blog. The next step is to create a list of questions that will reveal to you where a midwife stands on all the things that are important to you. The following questions may help you get started…..
1) What is your philosophy about pregnancy, childbirth, and your role in it in the process?
2) What is your success rate vs your transfer rate?
3) What is your perspective on weight gain, nutrition, prenatal supplements, and exercise during pregnancy?
4) What is included in their services? Do they offer an ala carte menu or all inclusive service?
5) What would risk you out of their care?
6) What are their beliefs about physiological birth and allowing mothers to go as long as it takes?
7) Do they take a hands off approach to the childbirth process and let you and daddy touch the baby first?
8) What is their refund policy if anything should arise that goes back on what you agreed upon during this interview?
9) Do they support birth however mom wants?
10) What is their stance on testing, scans, and cervical checks?
These should give you a pretty good start on your list of questions to ask, but again, make sure you know what you want before you start interviewing because you will know more about who you are looking for to serve you when you know what you want. If you have not yet started thinking about and planning your birth vision I have the perfect gift to help you get clarity. You can grab your empowered birth checklist here.
Oh, and if you have found this information helpful and you would like more encouraging, uplifting, and supportive information like this, I have a community I think you might like! You will find more great tips, empowering birth stories, and the support of a community that will come alongside you through your journey! Click here to join now.
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