Obstetricians have special skills to manage the more difficult and complex medical aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. At a public hospital or birth centre , if you or your baby needs extra medical checks or care, an obstetrician will be at the birth. The obstetrician will manage any problems and do procedures or operations. You might need to transfer to a birthing suite or operating theatre for this to happen. The obstetrician will also come for the birth, manage any problems and do any special procedures or operations if needed.
Obstetricians often work in small teams. If this happens, the midwives will deliver your baby. Depending on what happens at the birth at a public hospital or birth centre , an obstetrician might check on you after the birth. In some areas, like Vancouver , there are even family practices that focus exclusively on prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care. Alternatively, you may choose a midwife all of whom are experts in healthy pregnancies and able to devote plenty of time to your care.
Statistics vary greatly by source and province. However, according to the Provincial Health Services Authority , obstetricians attended If you have a low-risk pregnancy and dream of delivering at home or in a birthing centre, choose a midwife because, in most cases, family doctors and obstetricians only practice in hospital settings. However, if you know you want to deliver in a hospital, you can choose any type of provider, including a midwife.
In Ontario , between April and March , 83 percent of births attended by midwives were in hospital, 14 percent took place at home and three percent were at birthing centres. Midwives are typically able to offer the most one-on-one care, including before, during and after delivery. Family doctors and obstetricians are often pulled in multiple directions, which means that their prenatal and postpartum appointments tend to be shorter and they rely heavily on the support of nursing staff during the labour process.
Midwives also make continuity of care a central tenet of their practice. You can also get drug-free pain management, such as water immersion, with obstetricians. However, note that epidurals are only available in a hospital setting. Of course, you can also have a completely unmedicated, vaginal delivery in a hospital with a physician if there are no complications. The number of midwifery patients who delivered by C-section in Ontario in the same year was much lower 17 percent , but the majority of those patients had low-risk pregnancies to begin with.
In British Columbia, the number of midwifery p atients who had C-sections was at Regardless of the type of provider you choose, a good practitioner will understand their scope of practice and stay within it, says B. One of the most important next steps is deciding who will care for you throughout your pregnancy and during your labor and delivery.
But they share far more in common. In addition, each has received a relevant certification, which means they have demonstrated knowledge and skill within their area of expertise. And they want to make sure you and your baby are happy, healthy and safe throughout your pregnancy experience. You probably have a vision or plan for how you want your prenatal care, and labor and delivery to go.
However, you might think you need to trade experience for expertise or vice versa depending on the type of care provider you choose. OB-GYNs and midwives both provide great pregnancy care and safely deliver babies. But there are some fundamental differences. While OB-GYNs and midwives are part of the same specialty area, the training, education requirements and credentials they hold are different.
When it comes to training and education, OB-GYNs complete four years of medical school, a four-year residency program and a three-year fellowship. Board-certification is optional but a mark of distinction, implying that a doctor has gone above and beyond the minimum standard of education in their field.
The path to certification requires passing a qualifying exam, preparing an extensive case list demonstrating expertise in multiple categories, and then passing a certification exam. They work closely with the rest of your health care team e. OB-GYN or family doctor to meet your needs during your pregnancy. Many women continue to use their midwives for care after their delivery, too. There are three levels of midwifery credentials :.
In the United States, the vast majority of midwives have completed graduate degrees. And depending on your preferences, you may be looking for someone who has specific experience. Here are a few examples:. OB-GYNs almost always deliver babies inside a hospital-based birth center.
But midwives can deliver babies in a few different ways:. Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical, emotional and informational support throughout the pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Doulas do not deliver babies, rather they provide support through the process. Midwives and OB-GYNs deliver babies and are responsible for the health and well-being of their patients.
At HealthPartners, we can help connect expectant mothers with doulas and welcome them in our hospitals. Family medicine doctors can provide care during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. But not all family doctors practice pregnancy care. And for those that do, not all have trained to perform C-sections. So, if you already have a family doctor and think you may want to continue to see them, check with them to see if they can provide you the right care.
Think a family doctor may be right for you pregnancy?
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