59 Questions to Ask a Midwife Before You Hire Her for Your Home Birth
In the last 4 years, home birth rates have risen to numbers not seen since the 90’s. So I bet you’re one of the many seeking out-of-hospital birth? Or perhaps you’re just in the research phase and want to know all of your options? Either way, welcome! And congratulations on your new pregnancy.
Deciding whether home birth is right for you can be quite the process especially if all you know is hospital birth.
Which brings you to this article. You’re looking to hire a midwife for your home birth but you’re not quite sure what questions to ask a midwife before deciding she’s the one. And this may be a totally foreign idea to you! Especially if you’re coming from the standard hospital birth system where you simply pick the obstetric practice closest to you.
But, it’s extremely important to find a provider who aligns with you and your values. Whether you’re giving birth in the hospital or out. Hiring a midwife is a very important decision and can impact your birth outcomes and birth satisfaction.
So with that, grab your notebook and let’s dive in!
What to Consider When Hiring a Midwife
When it comes to hiring a midwife, the first thing you’ll want to do is make a list of YOUR priorities. What factors are nonnegotiable when it comes to your birth experience?
Things like:
Training
Belief in birth
Use of technology and tools
Hands on or off approach
Use of emotional or physical support
Fees and services
All of these factors influence the type of midwife you’ll hire and there is no “right answer” to any of these questions. It’s based on you and what feels right for your situation and family. Ultimately, you want to be comfortable enough with your midwife to poop, scream, cry, and celebrate one of the biggest moments of your life.
If you walk away from your interview with reservations or anxiety, it’s important not to brush off those feelings. Why aren’t you feeling comfortable? What about the situation rubbed you the wrong way?
Keep in mind, it’s *almost* never too late to hire a new person or fire your midwife. If you’re in labor, it’s probably too late to hire a new midwife, though you don’t have to keep her around if you don’t feel comfortable! Hiring a midwife should be a fully body YES to the relationship. She becomes part of your family and you need to trust her with your life and your baby’s.
How to Use These Questions When Hiring a Midwife
These questions are a great starting point if you don’t know what you don’t know. Read through the list and make note of what’s important to you.
I definitely don’t recommend going into an interview with a potential midwife and asking all of these 😅 that would overwhelm the both of you! And there’s a good chance she’ll answer a lot of these questions without you asking them.
So use this list to figure out what’s important and what you need more research on.
Training & Philosophy
Do you believe that birth is a medical event or a natural process?
What was your training? Are you licensed or unlicensed?
How long have you been practicing?
How many births have you attended?
Do you work with other midwives?
What happens if you can’t attend my birth?
What do you believe about interventions?
What emergency supplies do you carry? What training have you gone through to use those tools?
Are you trained in neonatal resuscitation?
Do you support VBAC’s, breech, twins, post-dates?
Do you label women high risk? What situations would you feel uncomfortable attending the home birth?
Are you a woman of faith?
Why did you become a midwife?
What are your expectations of your clients?
Pregnancy
What are your prenatal visits like?
How long are prenatal appointments?
Where do they take place?
How often are they scheduled?
May I invite friends and family members to attend?
What are your policies for standard prenatal testing? Urine dips, blood work, fundal checks, doppler exams, group beta strep, gestational diabetes, ultrasounds, etc?
Do you recommend bodywork? Massage, chiropractor, acupuncturist, etc.
What’s your philosophy on weight gain?
What nutrition advice do you follow and recommend?
Labor & Birth
Do you provide a birth kit?
Do you advise having a doula?
What’s your transfer rate?
Why do mothers transfer?
Do you attend the birth during a transfer?
What’s your cesarean section rate?
Do you have a good relationship with the local hospitals?
Do you have a pool for water birth or do I have to provide one?
How do you handle post-dates? Do you do any sort of inductions? (membrane sweep, castor oil, foley bulb, herbs, tinctures?)
When do you usually arrive for labor?
Would you ever leave during labor?
How do you handle a long labor?
How do you handle a precipitous labor?
Do you do vaginal exams?
Do you consider yourself hands-on or off during birth?
Do you carry herbs, tinctures, essential oils, or homeopathic remedies?
Do you carry any medications? Pitocin, methergine, or cytotec
How often do you check fetal heart tones?
Do you artificially break water?
How long can my water be broken before you consider a transfer?
If my water breaks before labor, how long can I wait before you intervene?
Can I catch my own baby? Can my husband?
Do you ever perform episiotomies?
How do you handle the placenta?
Postpartum
Do you have education in breastfeeding support?
What if I don’t want to/can’t breastfeed?
How long do you stay after the baby is born?
How do you handle perineal tears?
How many visits do you offer?
Do you file the birth certificate or do I?
Questions to Ask Yourself After the Visit
Would you be friends with the midwife? Yes or no? Why or why not?
Were you able to ask all the questions you wanted?
Was the visit enjoyable?
How do you feel talking about birthing with her? More or less anxious?
If there were family members present, how did they feel about the conversation?
Keep Christ at the Center of Hiring a Midwife
Hiring a midwife is 100% your choice. You should be at peace with whatever decision you make since it’s your family who will live with the choice. The right midwife for you might not work for your friend and vice versa.
Finally, don’t forget that Christ is always present and fills all things, so don’t neglect praying for your midwife. If you don’t know which midwife to hire or you’re having trouble finding one, ask for clarity and wisdom. And there is always St. Olga, who was a midwife herself, who can intercede before the Lord for you.
Did I forget anything? Which questions are the most important to you? Let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to share this article with any of your friends who might need a list of questions to ask a midwife before hiring her.
