Questions to Ask Your OB-GYN or Midwife Before Birth: A Complete Birth Team Interview Guide
What I love most about birth is that it invites women to reconnect with their inner knowing. One of the things I learned during my own pregnancy is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to birth. Every woman enters this experience with her own values, priorities, fears, and hopes. That's why creating a birth plan starts with understanding yourself. Pregnancy asks you to come home to yourself—to learn what feels aligned, what feels supportive, and what feels right for you. The best way to gain that clarity is to ask questions.
You can interview providers before pregnancy, early in pregnancy, or throughout your pregnancy as your preferences evolve. You are not locked into your original choice, and you can pivot in labor.
There are certainly situations where higher-risk care is necessary (as it was in my twin pregnancy), and there are other situations where multiple approaches may be available. Understanding the difference empowers you to make informed decisions with your healthcare team.
Now is the time to advocate for the experience that you desire and need. Remember that your birth team is there to support you.
As you prepare, read books, listen to birth stories, ask questions, and connect with mothers whose experiences resonate with what you're hoping for. Learn what helped them feel supported, informed, and empowered.
Whether you're planning a hospital birth, working with an OB-GYN, choosing a birth center, or considering a home birth with a midwife, your care team should align with your values.
Informed mothers make empowered decisions—and you deserve to feel confident in yours.
General Questions
Provider Experience & Philosophy
What is their training and background? How long have they been practicing?
What is their philosophy regarding pregnancy, birth, and your role in it?
If they have children, what were their birth experiences like?
How many births have they attended?
What childbirth class do they recommend to prepare for birth?
What percentage of women successfully have a natural vaginal birth under their care?
What is the mortality rate for moms? For babies?
How many births do you attend per month? What is your availability around my due date?
How many women are under their care at a time?
How much will you be with me throughout labor? Will I always see you, or will I rotate among providers within the practice?
Prenatal Care & Testing
What usually happens at prenatal appointments? How many are there? When do they occur? How long does an appointment normally last?
What prenatal tests do you require and recommend?
Will they run additional labs, such as a thyroid panel, Vitamin D, and Ferritin if requested?
Do they recommend ultrasounds? When? Where? How many?
Do they typically perform vaginal checks during prenatal appointments? When?
What is their philosophy on weight gain, nutrition, prenatal supplements, and exercise?
Communication & Birth Planning
Are you available by MyChart, phone, or email for questions?
What is your process for implementing a birth plan?
How do you communicate with your care team to ensure my birth plan is honored?
Who do I contact in an emergency?
Labor & Delivery
Are you comfortable working alongside a doula? How many of your patients hire a doula? Do you have particular doulas you recommend?
Can I eat and drink during labor?
When would you recommend induction? Do you use natural induction methods first?
How long can I labor without intervention after my water breaks?
When do you perform vaginal checks during labor? Can I opt out of vaginal checks?
What positions can I labor and push in?
Is a water birth available? Am I able to labor and push in the tub?
Do you have any concerns about larger babies and vaginal delivery?
What type of monitoring do you use during labor? How often is monitoring performed? For how long?
Will you deliver a breech baby vaginally? Do you have training in breech vaginal delivery? How many breech babies have you delivered?
Do you allow for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBACs)?
Do you attend twin births? Will you deliver twins vaginally when appropriate?
How long do you allow for the delivery of the placenta?
Do you allow delayed cord clamping and cord cutting?
What are your views on episiotomy? What are your views on amniotomy?
What do you do in the event of a postpartum hemorrhage?
What happens if I go past my due date?
What are your views on premature rupture of membranes (PROM)?
Newborn Care & Postpartum
Under what circumstances would my newborn need to be taken away from me immediately after birth for treatment?
What percentage of babies are transferred to the NICU?
Does the associated hospital have a NICU? If so, what level is it?
What does newborn care consist of?
Can you help me initiate breastfeeding? Do you have lactation consultant referrals?
Are you comfortable with me declining bathing, Vitamin K, heel poke testing, eye ointment, and vaccinations?
Who handles the application for the birth certificate and Social Security card?
Midwife-Specific Questions
What percentage of women need to transfer to the hospital (if planning a home birth or birth center birth)? What is the typical reason?
Do you have hospital privileges? At what hospitals?
How many midwives are on the team? Can I meet and interview each of them? Can I be sure that you will attend my birth?
What factors would risk me out of your practice? How will you help me prevent these?
What happens if I go into preterm labor?
Can I opt out of prenatal screening or testing?
What type of gestational diabetes testing do you typically use?
What happens if I go past my due date? How late do you allow me to stay under your care?
What testing do you perform for a post-dates pregnancy? Starting at how many weeks?
Can I opt out of antibiotics and follow a natural GBS protocol instead if I am GBS positive?
Are there birth tubs in each room at the birth center? What happens if one is not available when I am in labor? How long do you recommend staying in the water at one time? Do I need to get out for monitoring?
Who attends births? (Students, assistants, nurses, etc.)
What are the reasons you would initiate a transfer to a hospital? How often does this happen within your practice? Do you recommend that I establish care with an OB/GYN in case of transfer?
Are you certified in neonatal resuscitation?
What postpartum care do you provide? How many postpartum appointments are included? Where do postpartum appointments take place? Can you do in-home visits?
OB/GYN-Specific Questions
What percentage of women have a cesarean birth under your care?
What percentage of women receive an epidural?
Can you walk and move around during labor?
Are you familiar with women laboring in a birth tub? Do you support this process?
How many doctors are in the practice who could potentially attend my birth? Can I meet and interview each of them? Do residents work at the hospital?
How long will I be allowed to labor without intervention?
What is your cesarean rate? What is the hospital's cesarean rate?
During labor, how will the baby be monitored? How often is monitoring performed?
What procedures are routinely performed on the newborn immediately after birth? Which procedures can wait if requested?
Do the hospital nursing staff and physicians support kangaroo care? Is kangaroo care routinely practiced?
How long will you stay after the baby is delivered? What kind of postpartum follow-up do you provide?
What happens if two patients are in labor at the same time? Have you ever missed a birth?
When will you come to the hospital after labor begins?
What do you do in the event of a long labor? What do you consider a stalled labor?
Do you perform circumcisions?
Do you allow families to decline immunizations?
What do you consider a high-risk pregnancy?
