Asking for Referrals
Referrals are another useful resource to take advantage of when looking for a practitioner. Ask women you know about their birth experiences and what they liked and didn't like. Do they have similar attitudes toward birth as you do? This can often be a great way to find a doctor or a midwife to help care for you.
Sometimes you might not know anyone locally or you may want similar beliefs. Many times your insurance group can help you select a few practitioners to interview. If you already know what type of practitioner you want you can simply use their search engines as well:
Perinatologist:
Obstetrician:
Nurse Midwife:
Direct Entry Midwife:
When trying to find referrals in any of these manners, remember to look in multiple sources. Do you keep hearing the same names over and over? Did you check to ensure that the doctor or midwife has the credentials you want or need? What about insurance coverage? Probably the best bet is having that face-to-face interview. How you feel with the practitioner is often more important than many of the above criteria.
