Questions to Ask Your Provider

Preparing for Birth: Choosing & Communicating with Your Care Provider

Choosing the right care provider is one of the most influential decisions you will make during your pregnancy. Evidence shows that your provider has the greatest impact on your birthing experience and outcome.

Because your provider works for you, your care should feel collaborative—never authoritative. Use this guide to understand your options, navigate important conversations, and build a partnership with your provider that honors your needs, intuition, and birth goals.

Printable Guides Available: Want to bring these questions to your next prenatal appointment? Scroll to the bottom of this page to download and print our handy provider question checklists!

Build the Foundation

Understand types of providers and how to choose the best provider for you. You want to aim for alignment with you, your values, and your birth goals.

  • Obstetrician (OB):

    Views birth primarily as a medical event and takes primary responsibility for managing the pregnancy. OBs tend to utilize more interventions and attend births exclusively in hospital settings.

    Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM):

    Views birth holistically, seeing labor as a natural process and placing primary responsibility for well-being on the birthing parent. Midwives emphasize low-intervention care and support births in hospitals, birth centers, and homes.

    Home Birth Midwife (CNM, CPM, or Traditional Midwife):

    Clinically trained individuals who care for your medical needs during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Beyond clinical care, appointments (typically 45–60 minutes) address nutrition, home life, family dynamics, and mental health.

    • Note: While we generally recommend working with a CPM or CNM, there are also wonderful traditional (unlicensed) midwives serving our local area.

  • Listen to your gut: Pay close attention to what your intuition tells you about the care you receive.

    Seek trusted referrals: Talk to people who share your values and have had birthing experiences similar to what you desire.

    Start conversations early: Schedule dedicated time to review your questions. Ask early and often to ensure you stay on the same page.

    Address red flags immediately: If a provider is dismissive, disrespectful, or impatient, take it as a sign of caution. If necessary and available, remember that you have the right to switch providers.

  • When a provider recommends a test, intervention, or procedure, use the B.R.A.I.N.S. acronym to gather evidence-based information and make informed, shared decisions:

    • B — Benefits: What are the benefits of this intervention? How will it positively impact my labor, my baby, and me?

    • R — Risks: What are the risks? How could this negatively impact my labor, my baby, and me?

    • A — Alternatives: Are there any alternatives? Is there anything else that could offer a similar result?

    • I — Intuition: What does my gut tell me?

    • N — Nothing: What happens if we do nothing or wait? Can we have some time to think this through?

    • S — Space: Ask for privacy to discuss the information with your partner and doula away from pressure.

    Quick Follow-Up Questions:

    • "Is anything emergent or wrong right now?"

    • "How many times have you seen this happen?"

    • Stay curious and ask questions whenever something is unclear.

    • Use your voice, even if you feel unsure or nervous.

    • Align with people you trust and seek truly supportive care.

    • Be firm yet flexible as your birth journey unfolds.

Key Questions to Ask Your Hospital-Based Care Provider

Use these questions to learn about your provider's philosophy, standard practices, and policies to ensure their care aligns with your goals.

    • What do you view as your role versus my role in achieving a safe, healthy birth?

    • What is your philosophy on the normal process of pregnancy, labor, and birth? How do you support physiological birth?

    • How do you personalize care to meet my baby’s and my unique needs?

    • What childbirth preparation do you recommend?

    • How do you feel about working with doulas?

    • How do you support moving and changing positions during labor and pushing?

    • What interventions or practices do you use routinely during labor and birth? (e.g., eating/drinking restrictions, artificial rupture of membranes, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, IV fluids, epidurals)

    • How do you define and handle complications?

    • What is your policy for prolonged rupture of membranes (water breaking >24 hours)?

    • How do you handle going beyond 40 weeks?

    • What circumstances necessitate an induction of labor?

    • If planning a VBAC: What is your specific policy for induction and augmentation of labor?

    • How do you manage the second stage of labor (pushing)?

    • When do you find it medically necessary to perform an episiotomy?

    • What is your personal rate for cesarean birth, and what is the hospital’s overall cesarean rate?

    • What circumstances necessitate a cesarean birth?

    • What do you consider to be delayed cord clamping?

    • How do you manage the delivery of the placenta?

    • What is your policy for keeping mom and baby together after birth?

    • What are your standard newborn care procedures?

    • How many hours/days is normal for discharge after an uncomplicated vaginal birth? After a cesarean?

    • Stay curious and ask questions whenever something is unclear.

    • Use your voice, even if you feel unsure or nervous.

    • Align with people you trust and seek truly supportive care.

    • Be firm yet flexible as your birth journey unfolds.

    • Printable Guides Available: Want to take this checklist with you to your next prenatal appointment? Scroll to the bottom of this page to download and print our handy Hospital-Based Provider Question Guide!

Key Questions to Ask Your Home Birth Care Provider

Use these questions to learn about your provider's philosophy, standard practices, and policies to ensure their care aligns with your goals.

  • Birthing at home is a beautiful experience that, for most families, unfolds smoothly and safely. However, for the rare instances when circumstances change—whether in late pregnancy or during labor—the safest place to deliver your baby may become a hospital setting.

    A home-to-hospital transfer can sound intimidating, but thoughtful planning makes it far more manageable and less fearful. Use these questions to guide reflective conversations with your partner and to open clear, proactive channels of communication with both your home birth midwife and your backup hospital provider.

  • Take some time together to reflect on these scenarios so you both feel aligned, prepared, and calm if plans need to shift:

    • How do we both feel about the possibility of a hospital transfer?

    • What steps can we take ahead of time to make a transfer feel smooth rather than stressful?

    • How will we maintain a sense of calm and empowerment if our birth plan changes?

  • Staffing & Care Protocols:

    • When do you join me in labor?

    • Do you work with a birth assistant? If so, at what point in labor do they arrive?

    • What type of formal training, education, and certification do you hold?

    • Do you support breech birth at home?

    Transfer Logistics & Backup Care:

    • What clinical situations or conditions would exclude me from having a home birth?

    • What are the most common reasons for a home-to-hospital transfer in your practice?

    • Do you have an established backup provider, and are they supportive of home birth?

    • Which hospital or facility do you prefer to transfer to in a non-emergent situation?

    • How do you transmit my medical records to the hospital team during a transfer?

    • Will you join and stay with me at the hospital if a transfer occurs?

    • Will you resume my postpartum care after discharge? What does postpartum care look like in the event of a cesarean delivery?

  • We strongly encourage scheduling an appointment to meet your backup Obstetrician or hospital practice prior to your birth.

    Practice Philosophy & Hospital Environment:

    • What is your philosophy on labor and birth?

    • How receptive is your practice and hospital to home birth transfers?

    • How do you feel about working alongside doulas?

    • What are your practice and hospital cesarean rates?

    Labor Management & Interventions:

    • What is your policy on eating and drinking during active labor?

    • What are your standard policies on maternal and fetal monitoring during labor?

    • How do you manage the second stage of labor (pushing)?

    • Under what circumstances do you find it medically necessary to perform an episiotomy?

    • What do you consider a medically necessary reason for a cesarean birth?

    • What is your policy for prolonged rupture of membranes (water breaking >24 hours)?

    • If applicable: What is your policy for induction or labor augmentation for VBAC patients?

    Post-Delivery & Newborn Care:

    • What does your practice consider to be true delayed cord clamping?

    • How do you manage the delivery of the placenta?

    • What are your standard newborn care procedures immediately after delivery?

    • Will my baby need to leave my room at any point? If so, for what reasons and for how long?

    • What is the typical timeframe for discharge after an uncomplicated vaginal birth? What about after a cesarean?

    • Talk early and often: Don't wait for labor to ask about transfer scenarios.

    • Meet your backup team: Establishing a connection with a hospital provider ahead of time builds trust and removes fear.

    • Keep records handy: Ensure your midwife’s notes and your hospital backup bag are easily accessible by 37 weeks.

    • Stay flexible: A change in location doesn't mean a change in your strength—your intuition and preparation go with you wherever you give birth.

    • Printable Guides Available: Want to take this checklist with you to your next prenatal appointment? Scroll to the bottom of this page to download and print our handy Home Birth Provider Question Guide!

Key Questions to Ask Your VBAC Provider

Use these questions to learn about your provider's philosophy, standard practices, and policies to ensure their care aligns with your goals for VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)

  • Planning a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) is an empowering choice, and having a supportive, truly VBAC-friendly care provider is one of the most critical factors in achieving your goals. While many providers describe themselves as "supportive" of VBAC, their actual policies, comfort levels, and management practices can vary widely.

    Because your provider works for you, care during your pregnancy and labor should feel collaborative, transparent, and grounded in evidence. Use these questions to guide thoughtful conversations, evaluate your provider's experience, and ensure your entire birth team is aligned with your vision for a safe, supported VBAC.

  • Take time together to discuss your feelings and hopes as you prepare for your VBAC journey:

    • What does achieving a VBAC mean to both of us, and what are our primary goals for this birth?

    • How can we process our previous cesarean experience so we feel confident and present for this labor?

    • What boundaries or preferences are most important to us when navigating medical recommendations?

    • How do you feel overall about supporting planned VBACs in your practice?

    • How many VBAC births have you personally attended?

    • Of the last 10 planned VBACs you attended, how many resulted in a successful vaginal delivery?

    • What is your practice's and hospital's overall cesarean rate?

    • How does your call schedule work? Will I potentially deliver with a partner provider, and do they share your exact VBAC policies?

    • How do you support patients who go beyond 40 weeks of pregnancy?

    • What is your philosophy on inducing or augmenting labor for a VBAC?

    • How long do you feel it is safe for a VBAC patient to labor, assuming mom and baby are doing well?

    • What is your philosophy on laboring after the water has been broken for more than 24 hours?

    • What do you recommend if a baby is suspected to be large (macrosomia)?

    • What are your standing orders for planned VBACs, and how do they differ from first-time parents?

    • What is your philosophy on fetal monitoring during a VBAC labor?

    • Does your hospital have telemetry (wireless continuous monitoring), and how accessible is it?

    • What are your thoughts on movement during labor and different birth positions for delivery?

    • What is your policy or philosophy on routine IV placement versus a saline lock?

    • What is your philosophy on epidural use during a planned VBAC?

  • If a repeat cesarean becomes medically necessary, do you offer family-friendly (gentle) cesareans? (e.g., clear drapes, immediate skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, music)

    • Look for VBAC-supportive, not just VBAC-tolerant: A supportive provider proactively encourages physiological labor rather than placing arbitrary clock limits.

    • Clarify the on-call group: Ensure everyone in the call coverage group shares the same dedication to trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC).

    • Know your rights: You always have the right to ask for time, evidence, and options before agreeing to interventions.

    • Trust your instinct: If a provider makes you feel anxious, rushed, or unsupported, remember that switching providers—even late in pregnancy—is always an option.

    • Printable Guides Available: Want to take this checklist with you to your next prenatal appointment? Scroll to the bottom of this page to download and print our handy VBAC Provider Question Guide!

Resource Links

Questions to Ask Hospital-Based Provider
Questions to Ask VBAC Provider
Questions to Ask Home Birth Midwife

A Reassuring Note Before You Go

No matter where or how you plan to give birth—in a hospital, at home, or pursuing a VBAC—you are the leader of your care team. A supportive provider will always welcome your questions, honor your intuition, and practice true shared decision-making.

As you navigate these conversations, use the B.R.A.I.N.S. framework (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing/Wait, Space) to pause, gather evidence, and make informed choices together that align with your needs.

Bring your notes, ask for dedicated appointment time, and remember that you always have the right to seek care that feels collaborative and respectful.

Trust your instincts—you have everything you need to advocate for a safe, empowered birth experience.