My Midwives
The decision about where you will have your baby goes hand in hand with the decision about your care provider. Many care providers will only operate at one hospital and therefore by choosing a certain Dr you may need to choose a certain facility for birthing. This can be a double-edged sword depending on your priorities. There are also specific models offered at specific hospitals – such as Midwifery Group Practice. It is therefore useful early in pregnancy to find out about the choice of hospitals, birth centres and even home birth if that is something that interests you and to consider both care provider and place of birth in tandem.
It is useful to gather a list of questions and to shop around. Early in pregnancy, it is important to have as many options as possible available to you so things you may want to consider are:
- Does your hospital have doctors on site 24/7?
This is important not only for emergencies but also as it will define choices such as how readily and easily an epidural may be available and how supportive your team may be if your labour continues outside of hours.
- Does your hospital offer different forms of pain relief such as water immersion and water birth? Are there any restrictions on access?
Whilst you may not know whether you want to use water – removing it as an option at the commencement of care really limits your options.
- What arrangements are there for different types of rooms, partners staying and birth centre-style facilities?
The environment can have a significant impact on how the labour and birth progresses and again – at the early part of pregnancy it is helpful to have as many options as possible.
Of course, private health insurance will have an impact on where you can have your baby and the cost of having a baby.
If you want the broadest array of choices and want choices to include hospital and home finding a private practice midwife with visiting access may be a good option.
It can be difficult to find alternatives that allow you to change from hospital to birth centre to home (or from home to hospital as the situation arises). Talking to a private midwifery practice will at the very least outline the aspects you need to consider if you are considering a birth centre or home birth.
Finally, social media and forums can provide opinions and whilst at times these will reflect personal priorities and experiences, they can still give a starting point – particularly if you are considering many alternatives.
Once you have chosen a care provider and hospital or hospital and care provider it is important to book in! Your care provider may include this as part of their service or may be able to direct you as to the next steps. If your hospital offers a specific booking in visit take any questions with you. Simple things like parking and access to food outside daylight hours can become an issue when you are stressed in labour, so it is fantastic to get all of this as clear as possible.
Finally, close the loops – make sure your care provider is aware of what you have done and the questions you have sought answers to. Communication is pivotal to getting your care completely resolved.
