Pregnancy, labor, and delivery necessitate careful consideration of who will assist you care for yourself. Prenatal and postpartum care can be provided by a variety of health care professionals. Before making a decision, take the time to research your alternatives and consider what is most essential to you.
Different types of health care providers for pregnancy
OB/GYN Doctors
OBGYNs are trained to give medical and surgical treatment to women after completing a four-year residency program that focuses on pregnancy, reproduction, and women’s health issues. OB/GYN credential verification may be done through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ABOG)
Certified Nurse Midwives
Professionals with specialized training in obstetrics and newborn care, Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) provide family-centered care from the first prenatal visit through labor and delivery and after your baby’s birth. A master’s degree in nursing with a focus on midwifery clinical training is required for midwives, who are registered nurses with an emphasis on clinical training. During pregnancy, labor, or delivery, midwives consult regularly with on-call obstetricians for support in the event of problems.
Perinatologist
An obstetrician who focuses in the care of pregnant women with specific needs is known as a perinatologist or maternal-fetal medicine expert. Women over 35, diabetics, hypertensives, those with hereditary (genetic) abnormalities, those who have had prior pregnancies end up on this list, as well as those whose pregnancies are deemed high risk because of fetal or maternal conditions. are also on this list as well. An obstetrician who specializes in prenatal care and high-risk pregnancies is known as a perinatologist.
Doula
In the midst of childbirth, a doula is someone who specializes in supporting families. Your obstetrician is still your primary source of care throughout labor and delivery, and a doula cannot take the place of that person. Pregnancy is a common time to begin working with a doula. A doula may assist you in finding the right childbirth class, learning birthing methods, drafting a birth plan, and other things. In the early stages of labor, most doulas come to your home and assist you while you are still at home, before you are ready to be admitted to a hospital or birthing facility. To go back to your birthplace, they will either accompany you or follow in their automobile. It’s important to know that doula services are typically not covered by health insurance.
How to find the right doctor for a pregnancy
Availability
For new patients, it is important to make sure that the health professional you’re considering in is accepting new patients before making an appointment. You should also verify if the provider you’re considering intends to be available throughout your expected due date if you’re already pregnant. If your healthcare professional isn’t available, you’ll want to find out who will deliver the baby in your place.
Make sure that the healthcare professional you’re considering has admitting privileges at the hospital closest to where you live, as well. The place where you give birth counts just as much. In order to make it to the hospital in time for a safe birth, you may only have a few hours (or minutes). As a result, pay attention to the doctors and birthing facilities that are the most convenient for you. Remember that you’ll be making a lot of appointments, so you’ll need a doctor that is close to both your home and workplace.
Do your research online
You may simply find out which medical professionals are on your insurance plan and are situated close you by searching online. It’s possible to accomplish this by visiting your insurance plan’s website and/or checking out the websites of local medical providers or hospital labor and delivery departments to discover which plans they accept. Calling their offices is another option.
A simple online search of the potential medical provider’s name may take you to evaluations of that person’s services from previous patients and other sources.
Get reviews from family and friends
You can’t beat a referral from a friend or family member who’s happy with the service they received. See if anyone you know has a positive experience with their OB-GYN. Consider what they enjoy about them, and if it seems like a good fit, ask for further information and make an appointment to meet with them in person.
If you’re looking for an OB-GYN, you may want to check out their web reviews to see what others are saying. Customer surveys provide you an idea of what to expect when it comes to things like doctor accessibility and bedside manner as well as other aspects of the office environment.
Insurance coverage
An important initial step is to determine which healthcare practitioners and birthing alternatives are covered by your health care provider’s insurance plan. There are a number of ways to find out this information, including phoning your insurance provider or visiting their website. In order to limit down your search results, you should execute this step first.
Next, contact around to see if any physicians accept your insurance and find out how many visits are suggested and how much out-of-pocket you will have to spend. The county health department or other healthcare practitioners can help you find low-cost or free medical treatment if you don’t have health insurance.