3 Tips For Finding The Best Midwife For Your Birth Plan

If you are pregnant, choosing the right healthcare provider to manage your pregnancy is a major decision. While some women choose an obstetrician, others prefer the services of a midwife. Often, the choice depends on your preferred birth plan. Your options include:

• Vaginal birth
• Natural birth
• Scheduled cesarean
• Vaginal birth after cesarean(VBAC)
• Scheduled induction

Midwives are specialists in low-risk pregnancies, delivery, and postpartum care. While there are a few different types of midwives with varying credentials, your best bet is to look for a certified nurse-midwife (CNM).

CNMs are advanced practice providers specially trained in a more holistic (whole body) approach to birth. They provide prenatal checkups, labs, and ultrasounds with the same frequency and skill as an obstetrician, yet tend to spend more time assessing your overall health and well-being, as well as educating you about your pregnancy and what to expect after birth.

How to Find The Right Midwife for Your Birth Plan

1. Start by using an online search engine. Depending on your birth plan, type in the appropriate phrase, such as “home birth midwife in my area” or “natural birth midwife near me,” and it will connect you to a wide variety of providers that most closely match what you’re looking for. Choose a few providers that stand out and explore them to get a sense of their practice and whether it appeals to you.
2. Check credentials, reviews, and patient testimonials. Once you find a few midwife candidates that interest you, review their qualifications and experience, and take note of ratings and patient comments on sites such as Yelp, Vitals, Healthgrades, ZocDoc, Google My Business, Wellness.com, and others. Are there any midwives you feel like you can trust and feel comfortable with? If so, it’s time to meet them!
3. Set up a consultation. Arrange a meeting with each of your chosen midwives. During your visit, ask questions about management and discuss all the possible scenarios that could arise during your pregnancy and how the midwife would handle them. Also, make the most of your consult by taking note of key factors, such as:
   • Whether you and the midwife are on the same page when it comes to your particular birth plan.
   • Is the midwife welcoming, understanding, and interested in you?
   • Do you feel comfortable with both the midwife and the practice in that they want to take care of you and respect your approach to your pregnancy and birth?
   • Do they have a system in place for taking care of emergencies or unexpected complications?
   • Do they accept your insurance plan?

Midwife and Prenatal Care Near You in Lithonia, Decatur, and Stone Mountain, Georgia

At DeKalb Women’s Specialists, our team of highly trained and experienced physicians provides comprehensive and exceptional obstetrics and prenatal care, including midwifery services.

Our midwives conduct comprehensive assessments, make diagnoses, and treat pregnant women experiencing common problems like morning sickness, fatigue, backache, and acid reflux. They conduct physical examinations, prescribe medications, and can also order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, as needed.

Additional services available from the midwives at Dekalb Women’s Specialists include:

• Family planning
• Preconception care
• Health promotion
• Disease prevention
• Individualized wellness counseling

When you entrust your prenatal care to Dekalb Women’s Specialists, we not only help ensure the health and safety of you and your baby during your pregnancy – we also help prepare you for a safe and rewarding labor and delivery experience. We continue to provide the same comprehensive obstetrical care after you give birth to ensure that you heal properly, both physically and emotionally, by providing the guidance you need during the postpartum period.

So, whether you are looking for a midwife or an obstetrician who can provide the finest prenatal care available, contact the OB-GYN specialists at Dekalb Women’s Specialists in Decatur, Stonecrest, and Stone Mountain, Georgia, by calling (404) 508-2000 or requesting your appointment online.