Finding the ideal midwife for your pregnancy & delivery needs can take time. That’s because there are several different types of midwives (with varying degrees of training and credentials) to choose from.
Below are the Top 10 Interview Questions to Help You Find the Ideal Candidate:
1. How Much Experience Do You Have? For Instance, How Many Babies Have You Delivered and Have There Been Any Complications? If So, How Did You Handle the Complications?
2. What Type of Prenatal & Postpartum Care Do You Provide? How Often Will I See You (Both Before and After the Delivery)?
3. What Type of Training Do You Have? For Example, Did You Go To Nursing School? Do You Have a Midwifery Certification?
Get Wise About the Different Types of Midwives and Their Training Levels.
4. Are You Licensed? Can You Prescribe Medications?
5. Are You Affiliated With a Hospital or a Birthing Center? Or Do You Only Do Home Births?
6. Do You Work Alone or With Other Midwives (i.e. Do You Share “Call”?).
7. Which Prenatal Tests Do You Perform and/or Recommend?
8. If There’s a Complication During My Pregnancy, Who Will Manage It? Is There a Specific OB/GYN That You Work With?
9. What Happens If I Need a Planned C-Section (For Example, if the Baby is “Breech”— Positioned to Come Out Butt or Feet First)? Who Will You Refer Me To?
10. What’s the Backup Plan if There’s a Problem During My Delivery (Namely, What Would Happen Next? What Hospital Would I Go To?)
Bonus Questions:
- What are Your Fees? Do You Take Health Insurance?
- Do You Work With Doulas (Non-Medical Professionals Who Provide Emotional & Physical Support During the Pregnancy and Birth)?
- How Do I Reach You for Both Urgent and Non-Urgent Matters?
- What’s Your Overall Philosophy on Prenatal Care and Childbirth? What’s Your Take On “Water Births?”
The Bottom Line
Think about the qualities that you care most about in a midwife and use the questions above to guide you through the interview process. Your final decision will most likely come down to a gut feeling, word-of-mouth reviews, and the midwife’s credentials and level of experience.
