How To Choose And Find
A Midwife

Once you decide to have a homebirth, the next step you have to do is to find a midwife. Now, how are you going to do it ?

Finding A Midwife

The best way to find a midwife is by referral. Here are the list of people who can give you midwife referral:

• Your childbirth educator.
  If you attend a prenatal class emphasizing on natural birth, then you can ask your childbirth educator for a midwife referral. In fact, I found my midwife this way.
  
  
• Local natural parenting mailing list
  Join a local natural parenting mailing list and ask for a midwife referral. Homeschooling groups, attachment parenting chapter, La Leche League or people from your organic co-op can direct you to their favourite midwives. Alternatively, you can join a national mailing list for natural birth/homebirth which you can find in yahoogroups. Or ask in the Mothering forum (www.mothering.com).

Choosing A Midwife

Once you get the name of a bunch of midwives, it's interview time. Here are the list of questions you can ask when choosing a midwife:

• What type of education and certification she receives. If your state requires a license for a midwife to practise, ask whether she has such license. Just for information, there are two types of midwifery in the US: certified nurse midwife, and direct-entry-midwife. Be familiar with the types of midwives available in the States and make sure you hire a midwife with the education you prefer (if that's important for you).
  
  When I conducted my interview, I just asked the midwife whether she's certified/licensed to practice in my state. I didn't really dwell on the details of her education. Apparently, the fact that she's certified/license is enough for my insurance too. But your condition may be different. Your insurance may ask for a certain education, or you may only be comfortable to have a midwife with formal midwifery training or nursing training.
  
  
• How long she has been practicing and how many birth she has attended. You can ask how many baby are dead if that makes you feel better.
  
  
• What the procedure for home birth transfer is. What is the reason for transfer, and how often she has such transfer.
  
  

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• What her service and fee is going to be. Ask whether she will file for an insurance, or whether you have to pay her, and then file the insurance yourself. If you are interested in barter or paying in installment, ask her upfront about these.
  
  
• Ask her approach to birth and what happens after birth.
  
  
• Ask her policy on induction, and management of home birth risk factor or complication.
  
  
• If you like to have a 'hands-off' midwife, ask whether she can accomodate this. For instance, on my second birth, I didn't want my midwife to check on my dilation and she was okay with that.
  
  
• If you've had complication before, ask whether the midwife can accept you as her client. Be prepared to explain what happened on your last birth when complication arised so that your midwife-to-be can assert the risk properly.

I know it is time consuming to find a midwife who is suitable and 'click' with you. But don't shortcut this process. A good competent midwife is one of the important ingredients of successful homebirth. Take your time to find a midwife. And you won't regret it.

*NOTE: Do you want to get more tips and techniques for having natural birth? Then subscribe to our FREE monthly newsletter, "Born Naturally" and receive a FREE "Pregnancy Diet Secret" ebook.

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Midwifery articles:

• What is a midwife ?
• Midwife services: how a midwife care for you during pregnancy, labor/birth and after birth
• Midwife fee and how to pay for it
• In what birth setting you can use a midwife

Other article which may interest you:

• Why choose to have a natural birth ?
• Why homebirth ?
• Giving birth at hospital
• Giving birth at a birth center

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