Finding the Right Care Provider
How do you find the best health care provider - whether it's a midwife, obstetrician, family doctor, gynecologist, chiropractor, mainstream or alternative? It can certainly be confusing, threatening, or controlled, but the reality is, the choice is yours. It's your body, your health, and you should know what to look for and what questions to ask.
Remember that you are not committed to a provider if there is any reason that you feel uncomfortable or receive poor service. You ALWAYS have another choice, even after you are admitted to the hospital. You may have to fight for it, but legally, you can switch providers at any time, although I recommend finding out the laws in your state before an issue arises.
Step 1: Gather information
Using the internet, yellow pages, and word of mouth, identify all the providers in your area that offer the service you are looking for. Make a list, including how to contact them or their offices, how far you have to drive, and which hospitals they serve. Note whether they are mainstream, alternative, natural, holistic, allopathic, homeopathic... you get the idea. Find out if they accept insurance or not, how many practitioners are in the practice, and any other information that will help you sort for an initial weed-out.
Step 2: Set up an interview
After you have determined a few providers that are of interest to you, call to set up an interview appointment. Yes, you will most likely have to pay for it, but an office visit is usually affordable, and it's worth taking this step. Make sure to let them know that this is an interview, and you are also interviewing other potential providers. Come with a short list of pre-selected questions, the things that are most important to you (see step 3). When I interviewed one potential midwife for the birth of my son, I left her with a strong, nagging feeling that I would end up with an emergency Cesarean Surgery if I chose to use her. Follow your intuition. I didn't use her, so I don't know if that feeling was true or not, but it would have certainly colored whether or not I could have trusted her.
Step 3: Create a list of interview questions
Keep in mind that providers are very busy, and often only have 10 or 15 minutes with you. You want only the few questions that will get the most information and mean the most to you. I have created a sample list of questions you may want to consider. Know what you want, and find a provider who will listen and honor your desires and needs. Care Provider Interview Sample Questions.pdf
Step 4: Select your provider
Now that you have a good foundation of knowledge and information, and you have personally met with several individuals, use your intuition and connection that you made to decide. And remember, you can change your mind. If, after seeing someone several times, you feel it's not a great fit after all, go back to your second or third choice. You've already done the interviews, one step that makes a necessary switch easier.
