Choosing your care provider is one of the most important decisions you can make during your pregnancy. Your care provider should have a birth philosophy that honors your own, both as a mother and a patient. As a doula, I find that mothers who are most happy with their birth experiences have providers they truly trust.
The first step in finding your perfect care provider is to think about the type of birth you desire. If you have a low-risk pregnancy and desire a natural birth, the midwifery model of care might be right for you. There are a few groups of hospital based midwives (CNMs) in Richmond that many moms love. Frequently midwifery groups aim for mothers meet with every midwife prenatally so that your relationship and trust are established before labor begins.
If you have a great OB, ask about the other doctors in the practice and about the birth climate of the hospital you've chosen. Your OB may not be able to be present at your birth, so it is important to know you will be supported by like-minded care givers. Additionally, some doctors have privileges at more than one hospital, but not all hospitals have similar policies for laboring women. Quality of nursing staff can change radically from hospital to hospital, too.
A great place to start investigating is www.vhi.org. You'll find provider, practice and hospital statistics to give you an idea of general tendencies. Keep in mind, patient population can shift the numbers— providers who manage higher risk pregnancies might have higher cesarean rates than those who care for lower risk pregnancies.
As someone who frequently observes the mother-care provider relationship during labor, I cannot stress enough that you should feel your provider respects and supports your wishes during birth. Stresses of receiving unnecessary interventions or a c-section are absolutely the last thing you need when bringing your baby into the world—you should honestly trust their medical expertise and judgement. Additionally, your doula can do a much better job supporting you and your partner if your provider is on board with your birth plan. After all, every family deserves to be honored, supported and loved during this special time of life.
