Interviewing a new OB

PansyPants · November 2012

Hey everyone, I'm not 100% confident in my current birth team and will be interviewing an OB in a week to see if he and his practice would be a better fit. He was recommended by my Doula/Bradley instructor so I know that to some degree he has to be experienced with the type of birth I'd like to have.

Just hoping for a little input to make sure I haven't forgotten any important questions to ask.

Thanks for any suggestions!!

1. How likely is it that you would be present for this birth?

In the event you are not present, who would be?

2. What are your feelings on the following:

Med-free birth

No IV or Hep Lock (I know the hospital allows it since I delivered there last time)

Immediate skin to skin

Delayed cord clamping

Intermittent fetal monitoring

3. How far past my due date are you comfortable letting the pregnancy go before attempting to induce labor?

4. Would you be willing to not do cervical check until I've reached my due date?

5. Are you comfortable with me laboring in a birth tub and potentially deliverying in the tub? (the hospital is currently working on putting a policy in place to allow this, the rumor is the doctor I'm interviewing is the driving force behind allowing water birth at this hospital.)

Would your backup be comfortable with this as well?

6. Based on everything here, do you feel that you would be a good fit for this birth?

Back story: The practice I'm currently with has two new care providers that weren't there during my last pregnancy. Additionally, the midwife that I saw last pregnancy is no longer with the practice. Having met everyone there, I'm very uncomfortable with 2/4 of the people that could potentially be present for this birth. Those odds do not make me feel confident. One of them is a new provider and the other is one that was present for part of my last labor and although she was supportive she did not make me feel like she was prepared.