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Advice for Women About Choosing a Maternity Caregiver and Place of BirthChoosing a maternity caregiver and place of birth are two of the most important decisions of pregnancy. These decisions go hand in hand, as a limited number of providers practice in any given place of birth. Depending on your choices, you can receive very different care because practice styles and policies differ widely across birth settings and caregivers. These different styles and policies can have a large impact, for better or for worse, on your and your baby's health. Your main decisions about place of birth are: hospital, out-of-hospital birth center or home and, if you choose hospital, which one? If you are a typical healthy pregnant woman, you may receive especially appropriate maternity care by planning a birth center birth or a home birth. In U.S. hospitals, many healthy women routinely receive technology-intensive care that is more suited to women with established health problems (see Related Links, below, for results of the national Listening to Mothers II survey). Needless intervention offers no benefit, yet poses risk of harm. Among hospitals, some are less likely than others to liberally or routinely use labor induction, episiotomy, cesarean section and other interventions that are best reserved for situations of genuine need. Your main decisions about maternity caregiver are: obstetrician, family physician or midwife and, after this choice, which individual or group of providers? If you are a typical healthy pregnant woman, you may receive especially appropriate maternity care from a midwife. Many physicians also give priority to women's informed choice and try to use interventions that pose risk only when clearly justified. Within each type of provider, some are less likely than others to use practices that are best reserved for women with established problems. As early as possible in pregnancy:
For help with these steps, see in-depth resources on this website: Choose wisely! Your nearest hospital, your gynecologist or the person who attended the birth of a friend or your own previous birth may not be the best choices for you. Know your rights! The Rights of Childbearing Women is Childbirth Connection's adaptation of established human rights to pregnancy and childbirth. Most recent page update: 6/2/2008
© 2013 Childbirth Connection. All rights reserved.
Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families. |
News and Features
Listening to MothersSM III is the third national
survey exploring women’s experiences in pregnancy and childbirth.
Commissioned by Childbirth Connection, conducted by Harris Interactive, and
funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the survey polled 2,400 women who gave
birth in U.S. hospitals from 2011 to 2012. Results show that medically
intensive experiences are typical, and evidence-based practices are
underutilized. Childbearing women need better support and knowledge to
navigate their maternity care.
Access the full report and supplementary materials  New Report: Maternity Care and Liability Go to report and supporting materials New Report: The Cost of Having a Baby in the United States Go to report and supporting materials New Cesarean Resources: Go to Best Evidence Report Go to web pages and booklet for women 
For 95 years, Childbirth Connection has been dedicated to improving the
quality and value of maternity care for all women and their families. Learn
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Childbirth Connection works to ensure that all women and babies get the best
possible maternity care. We have the collective vision and we know how to get
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The Transforming
Maternity Care website focuses on maternity care
system improvements designed to engage diverse stakeholders in quality
improvement efforts. The site offers full access to the landmark reports 2020 Vision and
Blueprint for
Action, features a Blog, and other
resources such as an Action Center, a
database of
quality improvement projects, an interactive data
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