Finding The Right Fit In A Care Provider

When you become pregnant, it is essential that you get your prenatal care off on the right foot. The first step in that process is choosing a care provider who is right for you and yes, you do have a choice. Even with the restrictions put on us by most health insurance programs, you do have the ability to find a care provider who makes you feel comfortable. In fact, you owe it not just to yourself but to your baby to find the person who can best help you through pregnancy, labor and birth.

The options for care providers range from Perinatologists (doctors who specialize in high risk pregnancy), Obstetricians (doctors who specialize in pregnancy, birth and gynecology) and Family Practitioners (doctors who specialize in family care, including pregnancy and birth) to a Nurse Midwife (a nurse with training in low risk pregnancy and birth) or Midwife (usually trained for low risk women only, she may or may not work with a physician and usually deals with home or birth center births).

Before making a choice, you need to consider exactly what you want from a care provider. Do you want to be led by the hand or do you prefer to be considered as a partner or part of a team? Some people are content to just follow “doctor’s orders”, others prefer to take a more pro-active role in their care. The more comfortable you are with their role and yours, the easier the process will be on everyone involved.

Once you know what you are looking for, you can begin making a list of possibilities. You may find names from your insurance provider or you can take recommendations from family and friends, but always be sure to study each choice carefully. What works for one person doesn’t always work for another, so never make a choice based solely on word of mouth. When you have narrowed your choices down, be sure to interview each provider. This is an important step as it will help you to discover the qualities that may not show up on paper. A doctor or midwife’s personality can be just as crucial to their ability to provide care as their academic or professional qualifications. If they don’t make you feel at ease, it makes for a difficult relationship.

When you have chosen your provider, remember to bring to each visit a complete medical history including a list of any medications you may be taking, a list of any questions you may have, and another person (having an extra set of eyes and ears present is always a good idea in case you miss something). Prenatal care is only successful when everyone is actively contributing on all levels, so remember to listen to your provider and don’t ever be afraid to ask questions. The better you communicate, the more likely you are to have a healthy pregnancy and a happy end result.