When you’re looking for a medical provider to see you through your pregnancy, there are going to be certain practical concerns that are important to address right away, like whether the hospital they’re affiliated with accepts your insurance or if they have the qualifications or experience with any specific health concerns you might have.
As you search for healthcare providers that are a good fit for you, here are a few things to consider.
Reputation
A large portion of the population gets its recommendations for healthcare providers by word of mouth, which is not in itself a bad system, especially if the recommendation comes from someone you trust. It’s not your only resource, though, and websites with reviews for different providers can provide even more insight into the kind of care you might get.
Qualifications
This feels like an obvious one, but it’s important enough to bear repeating. Whether you’re turning to a family practitioner, who may be your usual doctor, or an OB-GYN, both of whom you may want to be sure are board certified, or a Certified Nurse Midwife or Certified Midwife, there are standards of certification that designate them as qualified to care for you and your baby.
Once you’ve had a peek at their background, you can get to know a provider more by meeting them in person. It’s easy to feel like you don’t have the time to meet multiple providers, but some trial and error is normal. You may be fortunate and find the right fit with your first appointment but know that the work you put into finding “the one” pays off.
Values
Depending on how you feel about certain issues, from buying organic to vaginal birth to co-sleeping, you may want to check that your ideas line up with a healthcare professional’s before you decide whether they’ll be your main source of medical information during your pregnancy. There may be more significant preferences you have as well, such as providers who value inclusivity, have staff who speak your language or who share a similar racial background.
If you and the doctor or midwife you choose don’t see eye to eye on certain issues, it may make your provider visits uncomfortable, and anything that makes you feel uncomfortable about being honest and open with your healthcare provider could be dangerous.
Bedside Manner
Great bedside manner doesn’t guarantee high-quality care, but lack of it can certainly leave you feeling cold. Even if a doctor or midwife is perfectly good at his or her job, if you don’t feel comfortable with them, it could make your care during pregnancy awkward and difficult. More than that, if you don’t feel like they want to hear what you have to say, it could hurt their ability to properly diagnose any problems.
Your healthcare provider will be an important resource throughout pregnancy, so it’s crucial that you find one whom you trust and feel comfortable with.
