Great news! Belinda (our studio assistant) is having a baby! We are so excited that one of our own is joining the family of parenthood. Her newborn baby is coming November 20th! As such, we decided that it would be fun to share some research with you in one convenient place. The first thing Belinda is trying to figure out is what kind of care to get for her pregnancy through delivery and post-birth? Who knew there were different options? Before diving into the worlds of doulas, midwives, and OB/GYNs, there are things you can consider to narrow down the prospects.

Possibly the most important is to take a look at your insurance’s preferred provider list. If you really like a provider that is not on their list, you can consider paying the difference. Second, ask family and friends in the area about their experiences and whom they would recommend. Their personal testimonies will give you valuable insight to the personalities of the different providers. You can also call the local hospital and ask to speak with the labor/delivery nurse.

Ask yourself if you would feel more comfortable working with a male or female and if you prefer a single provider versus a co-op group. If you don’t mind a group setting, you can always ask to meet the other providers so you have a level of familiarity with them all. I went to Bend OBGYN and Dr. James Carlson is my doc, and I can’t speak enough about every provider there! They are all fantastic.

On a more personal level, consider your own health history and preferences regarding labor and delivery. You can often find out a lot about a provider’s philosophy by their website or by calling the office and talking with a nurse. Make sure the provider has experience handling your situation and is on the same page as far as your wants and needs are concerned. Do not be afraid to ask questions regarding interventions, alternate support, breastfeeding, and anything else you may have in your mind.

Another avenue to research is the actual hospital. Again, do not be afraid to ask questions! Lots of hospitals have websites with FAQs that you can read through as well. Anne Carlson with Bend Birthing and Beyond runs the hospital tours here at St. Charles. LOVE her! She also has great birthing classes, but that’s for another post! Some things to ask about are where labor and delivery take place, will the baby stay in the same room with you all the time, do they have round the clock, on-site support (anesthesiologist, anesthetist, lactation consultants), visitation hours, etc.

Hope this helps get you started. Look for our next post to find out more about your options between doulas, midwives, and OB/GYNs.

Julia

Sources: www.babycenter.com voices.yahoo.com www.babyzone.com www.obgyn.net