5 Tips for Choosing the Right Obstetrician

Choosing a doctor is always an important decision. But when you're in the process of selecting one who will assist you during your pregnancy and labor and delivery, you want to be extra thorough before making your choice of which one to use.

If you are a newly expectant mom and you want some tips on how to choose to right obstetrician, we have five proven recommendations for you right here:

Know your own personal philosophies about pregnancy and the birthing process. There are some women who already know that they want an epidural, while there are others who are very passionate about having a labor experience that has little to no medication involved. So, before you start to interview doctors, make sure you know your own stance on pregnancy and labor. For example, do you want a traditional medical doctor or would you prefer to go with someone who is a midwife, instead?

Look for referrals. Once you are clear on the kind of obstetrician that you want, look for individuals who share your views who have already had children. This could be your family members, friends, co-workers or even individuals who live in your city who are a part of various online mommy networks. To find a list of options, go to your favorite search engine and put "online pregnancy forums" in the search field.

Interview more than one doctor. There may be rare occasions when you know which doctor is right for you during the first meeting. Still, we recommend that you interview more than one because when it comes to your needs being met, there is just so much ground to cover. Would you prefer a male or a female? Do you want a very gentle temperament or someone who tends to be more clinical? What is the doctor's view on how attentive they need to be during your third trimester? All of these are things to take into consideration as you're speaking with different individuals.

Know their stance on caesareans. Now here's an interesting fact. According to the World Health Organization, only about 15 percent of caesareans that take place are actually needed. This helps to confirm the fact that there used to be a time when caesareans were strictly used for emergency purposes. Now there are women who request them and doctors who even perform them due to scheduling preferences. Therefore, it's a good idea to check out the caesarean rate of the obstetrician that you are considering. Due to the fact that it is an extensive procedure that requires a significant amount of healing time, unless you and your baby are in physical danger, it's a surgery that should be avoided. Also, being that going into labor is a natural process, also check to see how often they tend to induce labor too.

Know their relationship with the local hospitals. One mistake that some pregnant women make is selecting a doctor without checking to see what relationship their obstetrician has with the hospital that they want to use. Knowing as much as possible about the physician reputation management at various hospitals beforehand can definitely make your labor and delivery process go much smoother. So, make sure to ask about where they have special doctor privileges before committing to a specific doctor. And hospital.