Finding the perfect home birth midwife is no easy task! Whether you are new to home birth, recently moved to a new area, or are looking for a new midwife for whatever reason we are here with all tips and resources you need on your journey. Plus, stick around to the end to get a free printable questions list!
What is Right for You?
You can’t find a home birth midwife that is right for you if you don’t have an idea yourself of what is right for you.
Take some time and consider what you want for your birth. Are you looking for someone with a very hands on approach? A midwife who wants to walk the whole road of labor right beside you. Do you need/want that kind of guidance or female companionship through your labor?
Maybe you want a hands off approach. A midwife that doesn’t step on the scene until pushing or birth itself, allowing you the space to labor on your own with your spouse in a more intimate labor. Do you want a lot of monitoring or cervical exams? How about prenatal screening? Do you want a provider who “requires” certain tests or exams, or would you like your provider to respect whatever you feel is best for yourself and baby?
Envision what you think you would want for your prenatal care, labor, and birth then search for a provider that aligns with that. All midwives are different even though the model of care should be similar. Finding someone that aligns with you and makes you feel safe and respected is essential for homebirth success.
How to Find Midwives in Your Area
We dove into this topic in a recent post about How to Start Your Home Birth Journey. Knowing where and how to find a midwife can be a daunting task, especially if you are brand new to this process. Here are a few things to consider….
- Join groups on Facebook. Join a home birth group on Facebook for your area. This is a great way to get personal recommendations from other like-minded women and find out who is available to you.
- Google Search. Many practices and midwives have websites or at very least social media now. A basic Google search for midwives in your area may help you find who you need!
- Word of mouth. As you meet and interview midwives, ask them who they know in the area! Midwives often work very closely and many have a large community of other providers they know and trust. If you find midwives you like but they are booked up, unavailable, or too far away ask them who they know!
Using these resources, hopefully you are able to gather a list of several midwives that interest you. Now you can begin the process of setting up interviews!
Setting Up Interviews to Find a Home Birth Midwife
Midwives on your list can usually be contacted via email, website, or phone. As you reach out here is some initial information you will want to include…
- Estimated due date. You may or may not know your due date at the time of contacting possible midwives, however knowing a rough estimate or the exact “due date” is helpful. Many midwives are booked out for months and some may not be available to attend your birth. This is good information to get out of the way before going further with the interview process.
- Location. Some midwives only service very specific areas. Others are willing to travel quite a ways for a birth. Be sure to offer your location to see if you fit in their scope of care.
- Home birth experience. It is also helpful for a possible midwife to know what your past experience is with midwifery care, if any. If you are brand new to this experience she will likely walk you through everything in much more detail than if you have had a home birth in the past and are somewhat familiar with the process.
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The Home Birth Midwife and Her Personality
After interviewing many home birth midwives, and as you interview them, one of the most important things to look for is how well you interact with her. If her personality is off-putting, you feel the least bit uncomfortable, etc. she probably is not the one for you.
A perfect for you midwife should feel like one of the most safe, warm people you have ever met.
This lady is going to be in your most intimate space, walking with you through months of pregnancy, maybe hard decisions, labor, and postpartum. Call me crazy, but I think making sure the chemistry is right is so important. If you feel “off” about her personality wise or even professionally you are not going to trust her judgment with your care.
Transfer Rate
A common question to ask when trying to find a home birth midwife is, “What is your transfer rate?”. Meaning, how many pregnancies/births does she have to transfer to an OB or birth center? How many of these transfers are preventative and how many are emergency?
An experienced midwife with many years of practice SHOULD have some medical transfers whether preventive or emergency.
Often her transfer rate tells a story- very few transfers means she may be willing to take risks you are not comfortable with. Too many transfers may mean she is against all risk. This is where personal preference and communication/questions come in!
