Idaho Midwifery Council

Informed choice means that you, as a consumer, do your homework. When you interview a midwife you are considering for prenatal, birth and postpartum care, these are some questions you may ask. The answers will help you decide if this midwife is the right provider for your family's "great expectations."

Review the list below and write down any other questions you may have. Share them when you interview your midwife. No question is out of line if it is important to you.

♥ How long have you been working as a midwife?

♥ How many births have you attended?

♥ What is your philosophy of birth? (normal or "illness"?)

♥ Do you help women birth at home, in a birth center or in a medical facility?

♥ Who comes to the birth with you?

♥ What supplies and equipment do you bring to the birth?

♥ How did you receive your training and do you have any certification?

♥ What do you do if you have more than one mom laboring at the same time?

♥ What do you do for pain relief if it is needed?

♥ Do you provide care for the newborn immediately after birth?

♥ Do you do newborn metabolic screening and hearing screening?

♥ How do you handle emergencies with either mom or baby?

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