How do I find the right midwife for me?
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4. Take note of how they make you feel during the interview- do you feel safe, at home and respected? Do you feel rushed or that your questions were brushed off? Did they make you feel confident or stupid or silly? Listen to your gut- if you feel uncomfortable with the midwife for any reason, I would not hire them. You should feel at peace and respected with your midwife.
5. Ask the midwife if they have any "requirements" for their patients- blood tests, diet restrictions, mask requirements, etc., and ask what they would do if you declined any of them. Ask yourself if their answer lines up with your values.
6. Ask about their postpartum care plan.
7. Ask for references! Post in local mom groups and ask if anyone has had experiences with your local midwives. See what other people have to say about their time with them. Note that since birth is very personal experience and there will likely be one person who will have a less than great review on each midwife. Listen to their story and consider if it resonates with you.
I hope this post is helpful to you! Please share this with anyone you think would benefit from this information.
For a list of questions you should ask any care provider during your pregnancy, join my Facebook community here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesemicrunchydoula
Last week, I answered why a home birth is a good, valid choice for someone who wants one. But how do you actually have one? What supplies do you need? How do you assemble your perfect birth team?
Let's chat about providers, because each one has their own requirements, preferences and gaps you need to fill.
When you have a home birth, the job of finding a provider is all up to you and your partner-which gives you both power and responsibility (if you get the reference, than our age is showing).
Midwives are typically the ones who attend home births. There are different levels of midwives-
CNM (certified nurse midwife), CPM (certified professional midwife), CM (certified midwife) and traditional midwives, who get their expertise from experience.
CNMs are trained in both nursing and midwifery, with extensive schooling requirements. They typically start out as labor and delivery nurses.
CPMs and CMs are what are called "direct entry" midwives- they go through midwifery training outside of a hospital setting.
Some people prefer the training and expertise a CNM offers. as they feel it offers the most risk prevention. Others prefer CPMs and CMs as they feel they have more medical freedom during the birth process. Still, others prefer traditional midwives, wanting to honor the sacredness of birth and have the least amount of intervention possible.
It's important to note that not every kind of midwife is legal in every state, so check your particular state laws.
When it comes to choosing the right midwife for you, I recommend the following steps
1. Interview every qualifying midwife in your area. Most of them do free interviews. If they don't offer free interviews, I wouldn't recommend them! Interviewing all of them will give you an idea of their personalities and help you see if you "click".
2. During your interview, tell the midwife your top 3 priorities for your birth experience (outside of a healthy mom and a healthy baby) and ask them if they will honor that plan. If they say no, you have your answer! If they say yes, that's a good sign.
3. Ask what their plan is in an emergency, what would require a hospital transfer and what would make you risk out of a home birth. Consider if they line up with your values and your boundaries.
Let's chat about providers, because each one has their own requirements, preferences and gaps you need to fill.
When you have a home birth, the job of finding a provider is all up to you and your partner-which gives you both power and responsibility (if you get the reference, than our age is showing).
Midwives are typically the ones who attend home births. There are different levels of midwives-
CNM (certified nurse midwife), CPM (certified professional midwife), CM (certified midwife) and traditional midwives, who get their expertise from experience.
CNMs are trained in both nursing and midwifery, with extensive schooling requirements. They typically start out as labor and delivery nurses.
CPMs and CMs are what are called "direct entry" midwives- they go through midwifery training outside of a hospital setting.
Some people prefer the training and expertise a CNM offers. as they feel it offers the most risk prevention. Others prefer CPMs and CMs as they feel they have more medical freedom during the birth process. Still, others prefer traditional midwives, wanting to honor the sacredness of birth and have the least amount of intervention possible.
It's important to note that not every kind of midwife is legal in every state, so check your particular state laws.
When it comes to choosing the right midwife for you, I recommend the following steps
1. Interview every qualifying midwife in your area. Most of them do free interviews. If they don't offer free interviews, I wouldn't recommend them! Interviewing all of them will give you an idea of their personalities and help you see if you "click".
2. During your interview, tell the midwife your top 3 priorities for your birth experience (outside of a healthy mom and a healthy baby) and ask them if they will honor that plan. If they say no, you have your answer! If they say yes, that's a good sign.
3. Ask what their plan is in an emergency, what would require a hospital transfer and what would make you risk out of a home birth. Consider if they line up with your values and your boundaries.
4. Take note of how they make you feel during the interview- do you feel safe, at home and respected? Do you feel rushed or that your questions were brushed off? Did they make you feel confident or stupid or silly? Listen to your gut- if you feel uncomfortable with the midwife for any reason, I would not hire them. You should feel at peace and respected with your midwife.
5. Ask the midwife if they have any "requirements" for their patients- blood tests, diet restrictions, mask requirements, etc., and ask what they would do if you declined any of them. Ask yourself if their answer lines up with your values.
6. Ask about their postpartum care plan.
7. Ask for references! Post in local mom groups and ask if anyone has had experiences with your local midwives. See what other people have to say about their time with them. Note that since birth is very personal experience and there will likely be one person who will have a less than great review on each midwife. Listen to their story and consider if it resonates with you.
I hope this post is helpful to you! Please share this with anyone you think would benefit from this information.
For a list of questions you should ask any care provider during your pregnancy, join my Facebook community here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thesemicrunchydoula
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