"One major step in preparing to bring a newborn into the world is deciding what you want your birthing experience to look like. You may choose between having the baby at home or in a hospital, consider potential alternatives if things don’t go as planned, and consider who you want around when you’re having the baby. Outside of the basics like a partner, family, or close friends, you may consider hiring a midwife or doula to be your advocate throughout the birthing process.
Right now, midwives are in high demand. This may be due in part to the increasing number of women choosing to have home births—which has increased by 56 percent since 2016. But midwives aren’t only attending to moms having babies at home. They’re also available to assist in hospital births as well.
If you’ve looked into the benefits of having a midwife and are taking the next steps to finding the perfect one, you’re in the right place. Like any sort of relationship, finding the right fit is important. Knowing you and your midwife align on shared values and practices will allow you to have a greater peace of mind when it comes to your optimal birthing experience. Everyone deserves to have a positive birth story, and asking the right questions can allow you to tap into your intuition, what you’re comfortable with, and find the right midwife for you. Read on for 32 interview questions to ask a potential midwife.
About Their Background
1. How many births have you assisted with?
2. How many years have you been practicing?
3. What are your credentials?
4. What is your hospital transfer rate on the births you’ve attended?
5. Have any of the births you’ve attended resulted in the loss of a mother or baby? If so, please explain.
6. Have you attended any births where complications arose (baby was breech, excessive bleeding, etc.), and if so, what did you do to handle those situations?
7. Are you able to provide references from past births?
8. Have you worked on high-risk pregnancies before?
9. What is your experience and approach with VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)?
10. Do you provide support for at-home water births, and if so, what is your experience with this method?
On Cost/Services
11. Do you take X insurance?
12. Are you affiliated with a hospital?
13. How much do you charge for services?
14. What is included in the cost and preferred method of payment?
15. Do you offer postnatal support, and if so, in what form?
16. If applicable, what sort of postpartum care do you offer?
17. Do you offer postpartum home visits or breastfeeding coaching?
18. What is your availability around my due date?
19. Will you assist me with creating a birth plan?
20. Do you offer any pregnancy-related services, such as birthing classes or guidance on prenatal fitness and nutrition?
21. Do you offer postpartum depression support?
About the Birthing Experience
22. What is your overall philosophy on pregnancy and birth?
23. What does your support during labor and the birthing process look like?
24. Would you recommend I also hire a doula to assist with my birth?
25. How would you handle complications during pregnancy?
26. What would you do in the event the baby is breech?
27. What is your policy on inductions?
28. What are your thoughts on delayed umbilical cord clamping?
29. If there were an emergency during my birth, what would be your plan of action?
30. What is your approach to pain management during delivery?
31. What are your thoughts on skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth?
32. How long will you stay with me after giving birth?
After the Interview
Once you’ve gathered all the information you need to make an informed decision, sit with it for a while. Now’s the time to ask yourself how you felt about the midwife you met with. Did they make you feel safe, seen, heard, and understood? Or did you struggle to connect with them? Did they come off as passionate about their work, or did it feel like just a means for a paycheck? Would you feel comfortable putting your life and the life of your baby in their hands? These may be the most important questions of all, and the ones that can most impact the birthing experience you’re hoping for. Above all, trust your gut. Your intuition will likely give you a strong inclination of whether or not you found the right midwife fit.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Editorial Assistant
As the Editorial Assistant, Brett works with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living. She’s also The Everymom’s resident baby names and family movies expert!