Midwife interview questions

[DoulaLMT]

I'm interviewing midwives this week, and I'm wondering what questions you asked that helped you pick your midwife. I have some, but wanted to see what else I could pick up from others!

Thanks!

[simplehome]

Last time my main concerns were making sure that my midwife had the same general calm outlook on things that I did, and that she wouldn't pressure me to do any tests that I didn't want to do. Really, any questions that will get her/him talking are good, because I think the most important thing is just your rapport.

[zenma]

I asked things like:
What if I want to labor on the toilet?

What kind of interventions do you do during labor? When and why? (esp how and when they monitor the baby's heartbeat?)

What if I ask to be left alone during labor?

What sort of prenatal assessments do you do? Why? What if I opt out?

How many prenatal visits will we have?

.... I asked a ton more, I can't remember. I go to a Certified Nurse Midwife group, and each visit I met a different midwife, so I was sort of interviewing a new one each month. The whole circumstance brought out the challenging, protective mama bear in me, and I think I was really asking them if they could handle that side of me. All but one did beautifully - they were calm, grounded, intelligent, flexible and knew how to connect.

[pampered_mom]

When I interview a care provider (midwife or not) I tend to ask oodles of questions. At one point I had a link to a website that provided a very comprehensive list, but I can't seem to locate it.

This site (http://www.mother-care.ca/questions.htm) would at the very least give you a good start. This one (http://www.childbirth.org/articles/questions.html) is another very good resource as well.

[jraohc]

Thanks for the info. I'm also going to be doing some interviewing soon and I feel like I am overwhelmed with questions that I need some focus.

[Ooey]

Here is one I wish I would have asked:

How long after birth do you expect the placenta to birth? What steps do you take if this has not occured in what you consider to be a resonable period of time?

Also talk to her about ripping and her suturing ability, weather she recommends stitches for a first degree tear, second degree, third degree...

[Mommy2Austin]

My midwife gave me a great packet of info when we went to interview her and I had been talking to her since after I had DS. So a year now? At least through email. When we met the most important thing to me was that I felt comfortable with her and we meshed. We instantly clicked and felt comfortable. If I have any concerns I will bring them up at our first prenatal visit.

[Ooey]

Oh also, this may have already been said but it's so importaint...

Ask about her hospital transfer rate. One midwife I interviewed seemed to be overly transfer happy according to some of the stuff she was telling me about monitoring, so I asked her about her hospital transfer rate and she said it was about 50% for first time moms!?!?@>@!>!>!! Needless to say I didn't use her, but I know of someone who did and ended up being a hospital transfer.

Another thing I just thought of that mayb be helpful, ask her to describe what her tipical "role" is durring labor. My midwifes ended up being very hands off and "just do whatever feels right" kind of ladies, which was great to some extent, but I was pushing for over two hours in one position and feeling very unsucsessfull, as a first time mom I would have liked the midwife to take the initiative to suggest some other positions, stuff like that is oh so importaint when choosing a midwife. OH and I'd also suggest interviewing AT least two if not 3, just so you get an impression of different styles.

[DoulaLMT]

Kaela, Thanks! WOW a 50% transfer rate!!!!! : Sounds like that's definitely worth asking.

I appreciate all the input from everyone!

[Surfacing]

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