How to Find a Good OBGYN That Supports Your Birth Preferences

Wondering how to choose a good OBGYN for your pregnancy? This is your guide!

One of the first tasks to tackle during pregnancy is selecting a care provider. f you decide to use an OBGYN, knowing how to interview an OBGYN helps ensure you make the right selection for your pregnancy and goals.

As the daughter of an OBGYN and a two-time natural birthing mama, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to find a great OBGYN. They have so much influence over your birth experience! And if you end up with a dud, it can be disappointing or lead to a cascade of medical intervention during your birth.

So let’s get to work on finding you a great OBGYN! Here’s how to get started and which questions you should ask when you interview OB/GYNs.

Step 1: Make a List of Obstetricians in Your Area 

The first thing you have to do is find some Obstetricians who serve your area. Please note that not all Gynecologists do Obstetrics (deliver babies), so make sure that you are making a list of prospective Obstetricians. Ideally, you’ll want to find someone close to home because of the number of prenatal visits you’ll have (unless you plan on giving birth in a different area).

The very first thing you need to do is call your insurance to find in-network OBGYN providers in your area. Getting excited about a doctor that your friend loved is no use if they’re out of network with your insurance carrier.

Then, to find OBGYNs in your area, try these ideas:

Ask Your Friends and Family for Referrals

Always ask your friends and family about the doctors that they loved! You want to hear the good and bad experiences that they’ve had with your local doctors. Always take bad experiences with a grain of salt because what one person says will vary from another, but keep it in the back of your mind. 

This method is the most popular way to find an OBGYN. Almost half of pregnant women use recommendations from their friends and family. Remember, you’re a natural-minded pregnant mama, and what your friend prefers in childbirth might be completely different than what you want. So keep that in mind when asking for recommendations; if you have a crunchy mama friend, ask her!

Ask in Local Facebook Groups 

You might be able to find some local birth groups or groups with like-minded women in your area. 

Next, Use Google and Yelp

Google and Yelp will be helpful when choosing an OBGYN. You can search for local OBGYN doctors in your area to give you some leads. 

Ask Your Family Doctor 

If you have a good relationship with your family doctor or chiropractor, ask them for recommendations, too. If you trust your doctor and jive well with his or her personality, he or she might be able to lead you to a similar doctor. 

Step 2: How to Interview an OBGYN: Ask The Right Questions 

Once you narrow down the list to a few OBGYNs, you’ll want to make an appointment to meet them. Some doctors will want to schedule this time separately or make it part of your first appointment. Try and meet with them separately before you commit to their practice, and don’t let them give you a physical examination until you have chosen them as your doctor.

Remember, you can switch doctors in the middle of your pregnancy if you need to.

Questions to Ask The Front Desk Staff

When you call around to schedule interviews with prospective doctors, ask their front desk staff a few questions about the doctor.

1. Where did the doctor go to medical school?

If you aren’t very familiar with the doctor or have only found them via an internet search, do a little digging on their background. For starters, ask the front desk staff where the doctor went to medical school. You can also check the doctor’s ratings on sites like HealthGrades.

2. Which hospitals does the doctor have privileges in? Do I have more than one option for delivery locations? 

OBGYNs can only see patients at certain hospitals. So, if you want to deliver at a specific hospital, be sure that you choose a doctor that delivers there. In larger cities, doctors will often have delivery privileges at more than one hospital.

3. How long has the doctor been in practice?

Ask about the OBGYNs education and how long they’ve been in practice. You might prefer a newer doctor who might be more up to date with the latest and modern methods and recommendations. Some moms prefer doctors who have years and years of experience.

4. Does this doctor support moms who want a natural birth?

If you are planning to have a natural birth, ask the front desk staff if the doctor is generally supportive of moms who want a natural birth. You can find out a lot about the doctor by talking to the staff.

Questions to Ask the Doctor About Their Practice 

When you start interviewing an OBGYN, the first thing you want to do is ask about their practice. Find out about the doctor, as well as what their office is like. You’ll spend a lot of time there during your pregnancy!

1. Why did you become an OBGYN?

This is a great open-ended question that can tell you a lot about the doctor. Asking them about themselves is a great way to learn more about their reasons for becoming an OBGYN and their philosophy on birth.

2. How many babies do you typically deliver each month? 

Some doctors have too many patients, and you just become another number. Also, if they’re delivering too many babies each month, they might miss your birth. 

3. Which doctors cover for you, and will I get to meet them during my pregnancy?

Sometimes, your OBGYN might not be able to attend your birth. Doctors are humans, and they travel or get sick as well. They might be away on holiday, a training event, or other situations. So, naturally, if your doctor can’t be there, you want a doctor that shares your same birthing philosophies and whom you can also trust.

If your doctor is in private practice, they will have other doctors who cover for them and they should give you those names when you ask. If they work in a group practice, you’ll probably be seen by someone else in their office because they have an on-call schedule. (Just make sure that your doctor isn’t planning any trips around your due date.)

4. What is your c-section rate? When do you recommend a c-section?

Here is another question for your possible OBGYN and the hospital. The World Health Organization believes that between 10-15% of c-sections are necessary and save lives. After that number, there is no evidence that the mortality rate decreases, and it pulls resources away from the hospital and other births. 

However, some hospitals now have c-section rates higher than 40%, and that’s an indication of a high chance that you will have one too. Stay clear of those healthcare providers and hospitals if you can! 

Also, talk to your doctor about when he or she would consider a c-section. What do they find a medical necessity? That’s a good indication of what you should expect when you give birth.

5. Do you perform VBACs? If so, what is your VBAC success rate? 

Searching for a doctor who supports a VBAC can be hard. Some hospitals worry about lawsuits and failures, but women deserve the option to pursue a VBAC if they so desire.

If you’re looking for a VBAC-supportive doctor, make sure this is one of the first things that you ask. You can even ask this of the front desk staff. That gives you time to search for a supportive doctor. If they do perform VBACs, ask about their success rate. 

6. What is your general policy on induction and being past the pregnancy due date?

OBGYNs have different preferences for induction. Some only use inductions for post-due date pregnancies, but others allow mothers to opt to induce before their due date. Some allow more time if baby and mom are doing well.

Most doctors know that medically unnecessary inductions can trigger too many interventions that lead to c-sections. Finding out the induction rate of both the healthcare provider and the hospital can help you determine if your doctor induces too early. However, they don’t always like to tell you that number, which means they’re probably not proud of it! 

7. How long are each of the prenatal visits?

No one wants to feel rushed when they go to their doctor’s visit. You want to be able to talk about your concerns and thoughts, and a doctor who only allows a few minutes for each visit will rush you. 

8. Are you available by phone or email if I have questions between visits? 

What happens if you have a question before your next visit? What if you have a concern? Surely you don’t need to go to the L&D ward if you have some cramps. Talk to your doctor to see what protocols they have in place for these things.

Some doctors have a nurse line that you can call for questions. Many doctors will respond to after-hour calls that might be problematic or emergencies. Others accept emails for simple problems (some might even text!). It’s good to know what the doctor expects you to do in these cases. 

Questions about Prenatal Care and Delivery 

Prenatal care and delivery should be the focus when you interview an OBGYN. The entire pregnancy and month leading up are all about the birth of your baby, and you want to make sure you and the doctor work well together.

1. How do you feel about birth plans?

You always want to feel that your doctor will accommodate and support your individual birth plan. Although your birth plan may change at various points during your pregnancy (and even during labor, the doctor should always keep your wishes in mind and honor your rights to informed consent.

Unfortunately, some OBGYNs don’t really support a written birth plan, so you need to try and weed them out during the interview process. Ideally, the OB will sign the end of your birth plan in agreement, so you have something to show the staff that your doctor agrees and supports your plans. 

2. I want to have a natural birth. Are you supportive of natural, unmedicated childbirth?

Here is something that gives you a great insight into what the OBGYN’s views are about birthing. Will the doctor assume that you’ll use pain medication, or will they support natural pain relief methods? The doctor should encourage you either way! 

Pay attention to how they respond to this question. It can be really telling!

3. What are your general philosophies and beliefs about birth?

Do they view it as a medical process that must be monitored, or do they look at birth as a natural process that doesn’t require too much interference?  

These are some of the most important questions that you can ask your OBGYN because it gives you an idea of how they’ll approach birth and how they handle the process. No matter the doctor’s beliefs, make sure that they align well with yours. 

4. Do you perform episiotomies routinely? In what situations would you perform one on your patient? 

Thankfully, nowadays, it’s not common to find a doctor who performs episiotomies routinely, but it’s always better to ask than to be sorry. Despite routine episiotomies decreasing in rate, many are still performed during childbirth. Talk to your OBGYN about how they feel about using them. When will he or she do one, and will they support your choice to tear naturally? 

I flat out told my doctor during our first meeting that I didn’t want an episiotomy and she made note of that and honored my request.

5. Do you deal with high-risk pregnancies? 

Sometimes, low-risk pregnancies turn into high-risk pregnancies and you want to know what will happen if yours gets in the high-risk category. Many doctors will refer you to a high-risk OBGYN or perinatologist for high-risk situations. See what they have to say so you know what to expect and write down the name of the doctor they would refer you to, just in case.

6. How do you feel about doulas? Do you have any that you prefer to work with?

Some OBGYNs don’t like working with doulas (and while most doulas are wonderful, I know that some doulas can be overbearing or intrusive, so I get it). But you have the right to birth how you want, and if you want a doula for support, you should make sure that your OBGYN is comfortable with that as well. Talk to the doctor to see if they’re comfortable with a doula. You don’t want to go to a doctor that refuses patients who use doulas and discover that too late. 

7. Do you support a vaginal breech birth? If so, what conditions do you have? 

In most cases, women don’t have to worry about breech births, but it does happen. Around 3-4% of women have a breech presentation at term.In most pregnancies, babies will turn from their breech position before birth, but having a healthcare provider who supports a vaginal breech birth is reassuring (but very rare nowadays). 

In most cases, if a baby is breech, their OBGYN recommends a c-section before your due date. Some breech-trained doctors will perform vaginal deliveries, but you might have to search a bit! 

8. Do you routinely use pitocin in the third stage of labor? 

The third stage of labor is the birth of the placenta, and that’s important as well. Some try to rush it along, clamping and cutting the cord too quickly. Other doctors give injections of labor hormones to expel the placenta faster. 

Any intervention during this final stage of labor increases the risk of hemorrhaging. In most labors, there is no reason to rush the delivery of the placenta; it comes out on its own. Sometimes, women need to stand up or breastfeed their babies to stimulate natural oxytocin. 

Questions to Ask Yourself After Meeting Each OBGYN 

Once you leave the doctor’s office, you have to ask yourself some questions to determine if this doctor is right for you. It might take some soul-searching to decide if this OBGYN is the one you want in the delivery room with you. 

• Did you like the doctor’s bedside manner and communication?
• Did the doctor’s view on pregnancy, childbirth, and medical care align closely with your own beliefs?
• Was the office clean?
• Did the doctor listen to you, or did you feel rushed during the interview?
• Were the nurses friendly and helpful? 
• Was the office conveniently located for you?
• How long did you have to wait before the doctor saw you? 

Final Thoughts on Choosing an OBGYN

Finding a great OBGYN can be difficult. You want to find someone you are comfortable with, who is knowledgeable and experienced, and who will listen to your needs. The first step in finding the right OBGYN is asking for referrals and then your next step is to interview them to see if they are a good fit for you, your birth, and your family.

Being picky about who delivers your baby is 100% perfectly acceptable. You should know how to interview and choose an OBGYN because this person matters! The birth of your baby is a lifetime memory that only happens once with each child. You want your doctor to be on your side, supporting your birth plans and desires. Together, you make the team!

And, it’s also ok to change providers during your pregnancy. If at any time during your pregnancy, you no longer feel supported by this person, you have complete permission to fire your OBGYN if needed. I fired one during my second pregnancy and it was the best decision EVER. You do what is best for you and your sweet, growing baby.

After you’ve gotten to work choosing an OBGYN, here are some other pregnancy tasks and guides that you can work on:

• My *Holistic* First Trimester of Pregnancy Survival Guide
• The Best Prenatal Probiotics for Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding
• 10 Most Important Chemicals to Avoid During Pregnancy
• The NEW List of Pregnancy Do’s and Don’ts
• 8 Myths About Natural Childbirth That Are *Totally False*

And if you want more support during your pregnancy, check out my holistic pregnancy roadmap.

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