You'll want to pick and choose which questions to ask, depending on whether you are interviewing an obstetrician, a family practitioner, a midwife who practices in a hospital or birth center setting, a midwife who does homebirths, or a doula. Good luck in your quest!
1. How long have you been practicing?
2. Where do you have hospital privileges?
3. What is your cesarean rate?
4. What is your episiotomy rate?
5. How much time do you spend with your clients prenatally? During labor? Postpartum?
6. What would make my pregnancy high risk? Do you handle any of these complications?
7. In what ways do I get to actively participate in my prenatal care?
8. How many of your clients give birth without medications of any kind? How many get epidurals? Are they supported in foregoing medications if that is their wish?
9. What are your guidelines for using Pitocin? Inducing labor? Augmenting labor? Do I have to have a Heparin lock automatically in the hospital?
10. Do you have partners/apprentices I need to meet? Who will be at the birth?
11. Do you recommend herbal preparations in your practice? When and why?
12. What happens when an emergency cesarean is needed? Do you refer to anyone else? Who is allowed in the operating room with me?
13. Have you worked with a doula before? Why or why not?
14. What is your VBAC rate? Do you feel VBAC is inherently safe for most women? Would you support a home VBAC (a HBAC)? What will be different about my laboring at home because of a previous c/s? ie, do you feel the need for a certain number of internal exams and/or checking of fht, etc...?
15. Do you provide backup for homebirths?
16. What is your transport rate? (applicable to birth centers and homebirths) For what reasons do you transport? Where do you transport to?
17. Who are your backup physicians? Do I meet him/her prenatally?
18. What medical care is available for complications? Can you use oxygen? Can you suture? Do you use any IVs or medications to stop bleeding?
19. What would risk me out of a homebirth (or birth center birth)?
20. What kind of routine prenatal testing do you recommend? Why?
21. Can I get an ultrasound if I want one? Can I turn one down if I want to?
22. Can I turn down any tests I don't want? What if I don't want an amniocentesis and I'm over 35?
23. Do I have to use the electronic fetal monitor at the hospital? Can I request someone use a fetoscope or Doppler instead?
24. Do you allow women to eat during labor? Can I labor in whatever positions I want?
25. What do I need to have prepared for the birth?
26. What insurance do you take? Do you have payment plans?
27. Can my other children attend the birth?
28. Are there books you recommend I read during pregnancy? What about recommended classes?
29. At what point am I considered "overdue" enough to warrant concern?
30. How do you feel about attachment parenting?
31. How long can my water be broken before labor is induced? Can I still use shower/jacuzzi/bath after it breaks?
32.What will be different about my laboring at home because of a previous c/s? (i.e., do you feel the need for a certain number of internal exams and/or checking of fht, etc...?)