Excited to be pregnant & welcoming the new addition to your family? Congratulations! But there are many important things you need to take care off before you have a child. One such thing is the choice of who will conduct your labor. The most important aspect of your pregnancy is the delivery. How and where you deliver is crucial, as most maternal and fetal deaths take place during the process of delivery. This calls for extra caution when it choosing a midwife.

Who are midwives?
Midwives have existed since the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. They were the ones responsible for conducting labor.  But their role is still the same – to conduct delivery.  However, they have their limitations too. They cannot perform a cesarean section when there is a necessity for one. In any case, most of the time, the decision to go for a C-section, or normal delivery, is made long before; but sometimes the decision will be taken on the delivery table when the labor becomes difficult.

Types of midwives:

• Certified midwives:
  • Certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • They have some medical training
  • They are not certified, nurses.
  • They are affiliated with OB offices.
• Certified nurse-midwives:
  • Certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • They have some medical training
  • They become certified nurse, after undergoing additional training
  • They are affiliated with OB offices.
• Certified professional midwives:
  • Designated by North American Registry of Midwives.
  • They work outside hospitals.
  • They deliver babies in birthing centers or in the patient’s homes.
• Direct entry midwives:
  • They practice independently.
  • They are not trained, nurses.
  • They are educated either through a college program or by doing an apprenticeship in midwifery
  • They can provide prenatal care and conduct deliveries in homes or birth centers.
• Lay midwives:
  • They practice alternate medicine
  • They have no certification.
  • They deliver babies at home or in birth centers.

Now that you know the types of midwives, it is time to make a decision as to whether you need any of them. Here are few things to keep in mind before choosing your midwife:

Make sure that you need a midwife
As mentioned earlier, midwives have their own drawbacks. Sometimes, they may be highly skillful in conducting normal delivery, but they cannot make immediate decisions on the table when there is a difficult labor. As long as the pregnancy has been uneventful and the maternal-fetal parameters are normal, you can opt for a midwife. This decision must be arrived at after talking to your doctor about whether you are the right candidate for having a midwife.

Do some research on the type of midwives
After you have decided to have midwives, you have to make the choice of what type of midwife you need. Take a look at their designation, certification, experience, any issues of malpractice, any previous claims or cases, etc. Also, check what type of care each of them offer and whether it corresponds to what you are looking for too.

Talk to your insurance provider
Healthcare being as expensive as it is is an unfortunate reality of our times, and prenatal care is no exception. You must make sure that you talk to your insurance agent regarding what costs get covered by your insurance, and what costs do not. This will help you handle the potentially overwhelming costs of delivery. Sometimes your current insurance may not cover the cost of a midwife, so be sure to find a better insurance option if you want to hire a midwife.

Talk to other moms
No matter how many experts you consult, nothing compares to the personal testimony of a mother when it comes to enlightening you on pregnancy-related matters. Before making a choice, talk to your other friends who have recently reached motherhood regarding the midwife options available, and how to choose the most suitable from among them.

Choose the kind of birth you want
After making all these choices, it is time to choose the kind of birth. Here are few options to consider:

• A home birth
• A water birth
• A standard hospital birth

Do you want to take the assistance of medicines or go completely drug-free?  Also, check if the midwife you are considering:

• Encourages hospital births
• Encourages home births
• Specializes in water births

Based on your choice, try to find a midwife who perfectly fits in along with the designation and experience that you are expecting.

You can change your mind if you want to
Sometimes only after making a certain decision, you may find a better one. Don’t hesitate to change your choices. There are also additional things you need to look for like:

• How comfortable you feel with your midwife.
• How good you feel discussing personal matters pertaining to the pregnancy with them
• Whether or not you can freely share your feelings with the midwife.

Your choice of midwife will significantly impact your delivery, for better or for worse. So make an informed decision,  after proper research and consultations with doctors, friends etc.