Home Birth Prep: Interviewing Midwives

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The following is a list of questions I would recommend asking your midwife in your initial interview/consultation. Every mama is going to have different priorities and philosophies, so there’s no specific right or wrong answer to these questions. It all depends on what you are looking for. Also, just as important as the actual answers to the questions, pay attention to the character of the midwife during the interview - are you comfortable with her attitude? Do you find her easy to communicate with? Does she inspire confidence in you? In short, is she someone you’d like to have in the room with you during the intimate and sometimes difficult process of childbirth?

• How long have you been a midwife?

This is a good question with which to start the conversation. You'll find midwives with all manner of experience and every mama's needs may vary.

If you have a "higher risk factor" of some sort, you may want to have someone with more years in this field.

Keep in mind, though, that just because a midwife hasn't been delivering babies for decades, doesn't mean that she isn't amazing. My midwife, when I interviewed her, had only been certified for a little over two years, but I knew from the first call that she was exactly what I was looking for.

• How many babies have you delivered?

Similar to the first question, this will give you a good picture of the kind of experience the midwife has. You can further ask about the environments in which they delivered - mostly home births? Hospital experience? Birth centers?

Feel free to take your time on each question and dig into the answers so you have a clear idea of what she brings to the table.

• What is your core philosophy when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth?

It was very important to me to make sure that our philosophies aligned. I believe that the body is built to be able to birth naturally and that pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes, not medical conditions. I think that most midwives would subscribe to this philosophy, but it's still wise to ask.

There was a specific moment in my initial phone interview with my midwife when I knew she was the one. We were on this subject of her philosophy on childbirth when she said to me, "There's something you should know about me that some people may consider strange."

My heart sank as I started to wonder what bizarre viewpoint she was about to confess.

"I believe," she continued, "that the baby is a person. I talk to the newborn like I would any other person and I ask him or her permission before doing anything. I'll let them know what is happening, like if I am going to check their heartbeat, I'll tell them so and explain what the stethoscope is and so forth. Some people find it odd."

I literally had tears in my eyes as she was saying this. Her views aligned so thoroughly with my own, it was love at first call.

• Are you a CNM or a CPM?

A CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) is typically geared toward a medical attitude toward childbirth - hospital setting and such. They first get a nursing degree then, later, get their education in midwifery.

A CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) is typically geared toward a home birth setting and a less medical, more natural approach to childbirth. There is no nursing degree required and they are specifically trained in midwifery.

I was looking for someone who did not have a medical approach to childbirth, so a CPM was what I wanted, but your needs may be different.

• Do you have any other, additional, certificates or training?

For example, CPR training, Lactation Consulting, or other continuing education classes such as breach birth or twin delivery training.

Of course if you have a specific concern (such as a prevalence of twin births in your family) you want someone with experience and training in that specific area.

But even if you don't have something in particular, this is a good way to get a feel for the commitment your midwife has to her craft. I was incredibly impressed to find out how much continuing education my midwife was involved in.

• What do you believe the husband’s role is in the childbirth process?

You can also ask about her views on having siblings involved in the birth (if this is not your first) as well as any other members of your birth team. Again, every mama will have different needs so just make sure the midwife's views align with your own.

• What kind of tests do you require or recommend throughout the pregnancy? Can I opt out of any with which I feel uncomfortable? (Blood tests, ultrasounds, glucose testing, group B strep, etc.)

I didn't ask about this (as I hired my midwife when I was eight months into my pregnancy) but I would recommend it so you can have an idea of what to expect.

• What are your thoughts on vaccines, vitamin K shot, eye drops, etc.?

I have very strong opinions on these topics and it was vital that my midwife was on the same page as me on this.

• How many home births have you had wind up in a hospital transfer?

Keep in mind, the fact that there was a transfer to a hospital is not, in and of itself, a negative mark for the midwife. There are, of course, factors out of the midwife’s control that can result in this outcome. But this is a good question to ask to get a feel for the midwife’s attitude on the subject.

• Ask about specific aspects of your birth plan.

Even if you haven’t got one officially written yet, talk about the items you may consider having on your birth plan, such as delayed cord clamping, delaying the baby’s first bath, water birth, skin-to-skin for an uninterrupted hour, what is to be done with the placenta, who will catch the baby, who will cut the cord, etc.

• How many appointments will we have? What will the schedule look like? How long are the appointments? How many postpartum appointments will there be?

This will give you some idea of what to expect.

• Will you attend the birth alone? Or is there a team?

If there is a team, ask about meeting them and becoming familiar with them over the course of your pregnancy.

• Do you have a limit as to how many clients you’ll take on?

Most midwives will only take on a limited number of clients whose due dates fall within the same month to reduce the possibility of two of their mamas going into labor on the same day. Find out how she would handle it in the unlikely event that this were to happen.

• What is the cost of your services? Do you take insurance (if applicable)?

If you are considering hiring her, find out what form of payment she accepts, if you have to pay up front or if you can pay in installments, and any other applicable questions about financial arrangements.

• Is there anything else I should know in order to make an informed decision?

Leave an open ended question at the end for any other information she may want to volunteer.

I hope this list is helpful to you! Happy hunting!