You've gone through all the exam sticks in the box, and those little lines keep staring back at you. It's confirmed: you're meaning! Offset come a mix of emotions ranging from completely thrilled to terrified. And then come up the questions:

"How volition I tell my family and friends?"

"Am I having a boy or a girl?"

"What do I exercise next?"

I of the near important side by side steps is deciding who will care for you throughout your pregnancy and during your labor and delivery. And so the next question is: Should you cull an OB-GYN or a midwife?

"You want a trusted, reliable partner who can help you navigate your pregnancy with care and compassion," says Dr. Katie Krumwiede, medical managing director for HealthPartners' OB-GYN. "This is a very personal conclusion to make. It'south important to know your options."

To help you learn more about your options, let'southward swoop into the similarities and differences between midwives and OB-GYNs, where doulas and family medicine doctors factor in, and what y'all should consider when choosing who to trust with your care.

What's the difference between a midwife and OB-GYN? Let's talk most similarities beginning.

You probably know that both an OB-GYN and a midwife can evangelize babies. Just they share far more in common.

Midwives and OB-GYNs are both highly trained and certified

Midwives and OB-GYNs are experts in women'south wellness and pregnancy intendance who have extensive specialty training and feel in their field. In addition, each has received a relevant certification, which means they accept demonstrated knowledge and skill within their surface area of expertise.

Midwives and OB-GYNs are committed to your safety and comfort

Midwives and OB-GYNs are extremely passionate about what they exercise. And they want to make sure you and your baby are happy, healthy and safe throughout your pregnancy feel. And so, they'll work with you to honor your pregnancy goals and birth plan, while also offer their expertise and information on all your care options every bit your pregnancy progresses, including hurting management during labor and commitment.

Midwives and OB-GYNs strive to give yous the best experience

You lot probably accept a vision or programme for how you want your prenatal care, and labor and commitment to go. Notwithstanding, you might call up you need to trade experience for expertise (or vice versa) depending on the type of care provider you choose. Simply that'due south not true.

At HealthPartners, our OB-GYNs, midwives and pregnancy care teams strive to deliver your baby, your way. That means nosotros all desire to help you take the care and child birthing experience yous're hoping for, regardless of who you cull as your primary specialist.

Now, let'due south talk about the differences betwixt a midwife and an OB-GYN

OB-GYNs and midwives both provide smashing pregnancy care and safely deliver babies. But there are some key differences.

OB-GYNs and midwives have unlike credentials and educational backgrounds

While OB-GYNs and midwives are role of the same specialty expanse, the training, instruction requirements and credentials they hold are different.

OB-GYNs are medical doctors

An OB-GYN – which is short for obstetrician-gynecologist – is a medical doctor who specializes in women's reproductive health, as well every bit pregnancy care and delivering babies. They're as well surgically trained and tin can perform Cesarean sections (C-sections) when necessary. You lot may already visit an OB-GYN for your annual well-woman'due south visit.

When it comes to training and education, OB-GYNs complete four years of medical school, a 4-year residency program and a 3-yr fellowship.

Board-eligible vs. Board-certified OB-GYNs

OB-GYNs – like other medical doctors – can likewise pursue certification from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) after they've completed their residency and gotten their license to exercise. Board-certification is optional but a mark of distinction, implying that a dr. has gone above and beyond the minimum standard of didactics in their field.

The path to certification requires passing a qualifying test, preparing an all-encompassing case list demonstrating expertise in multiple categories, and and then passing a certification exam. At HealthPartners, all our OB-GYNs are board-certified.

Midwives are trained and experienced health professionals

Like OB-GYNs, many midwives tin provide a broad range of women'due south health services such as annual checkups, birth command and menopause care. But pregnancy, birth and postpartum care is what they're most widely known for.

They work closely with the balance of your health care squad (eastward.1000. OB-GYN or family medico) to meet your needs during your pregnancy. Many women proceed to use their midwives for intendance later their delivery, likewise.

There are three levels of midwifery credentials:

  • Certified professional midwife (CPM) – Certified professional midwives are specialists who have demonstrated their knowledge and skills in providing midwifery services, and been certified by the North American Registry of Midwives.
  • Certified midwife (CM) – Certified midwives are non-nurses who accept earned a mail-graduate degree in midwifery, and have too been certified past the American Midwifery Certification Board.
  • Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) – Certified nurse midwives are registered nurses (RNs) who accept master's or doctorate degrees in nursing. They take also received their American Midwifery Certification Board certification.

In the United States, the vast majority of midwives have completed graduate degrees. At HealthPartners, all of our midwives are CNMs.

OB-GYNs and midwives accept different birthing specialties

Birthing specialties are ane of the most important differences betwixt midwives and OB-GYNs. Why? Depending on your needs, certain specialized care may be required for you and your baby's wellness and safety. And depending on your preferences, you may be looking for someone who has specific experience. Hither are a few examples:

  • Loftier-chance vs. depression-risk pregnancies – OB-GYNs tin can manage high-take chances or complicated pregnancies such as women who are expecting twins or have preexisting medical conditions. Midwives, on the other hand, can manage low-risk pregnancies and births.
  • H2o births – While water births (or tub births) are becoming increasingly common in infirmary settings where OB-GYNs are the master care provider, they are very common within the midwifery specialty. So, if you are leaning toward a midwife, chances are high that water births are among their top specialties.
  • C-sections – Midwives can't perform C-sections, whether they're planned in accelerate or go needed to safely deliver your babe. OB-GYNs have the surgical grooming to perform scheduled, unplanned and emergency C-sections, which is 1 of the reasons they tin handle high-gamble or complicated pregnancies.

Midwives sometimes deliver babies outside a infirmary setting

OB-GYNs nigh always deliver babies inside a hospital-based nativity center. But midwives tin can deliver babies in a few different ways:

  • Home births – When women with low-take a chance pregnancies plan home births, midwives are the professionals who back up the labor and delivery process.
  • Freestanding nativity centers – Freestanding birth centers are not part of a hospital and they're designed to provide a home-like, non-medical surround for birth. While some freestanding birth centers may accept OB-GYNs on their care team, midwives are usually the principal care providers.
  • Infirmary-based nativity center – Midwives – like our certified nurse-midwives – can also be part of a larger care team at a hospital. A infirmary setting is the safest place for giving birth. In that location, midwives can offering more pain management options and connect you with other specialized intendance if need be. All our midwives evangelize at hospital-based birth centers.

Prepare to start your search for an OB-GYN or midwife?

Notice an OB-GYN and schedule an engagement   Notice a midwife and schedule an appointment

Midwife vs. OB-GYN: A side-past-side comparison

Want to see the differences betwixt a certified nurse-midwife and an OB-GYN at a glance? Here's a quick overview of OB-GYNs versus midwives:

Doula vs. midwife: Another role of the pregnancy care equation

As you're considering your options, midwives and doulas may come up up in your research and conversations with friends. And it's important to know what sets them apart.

So, what is a doula?

Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical, emotional and advisory support throughout the pregnancy, birth and postpartum feel.

What's the departure betwixt a doula and a midwife?

While doulas are trained professionals, they're not trained health professionals like midwives. Doulas practice 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 tin can help connect expectant mothers with doulas and welcome them in our hospitals.

What about family doctors? Can they provide pregnancy care?

Yes. Family medicine doctors can provide care during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. Merely not all family doctors practice pregnancy care. And for those that practice, non all accept trained to perform C-sections.

So, if you already have a family md and recall yous may desire to continue to encounter them, check with them to see if they can provide you the right care.

Think a family doctor may exist right for you pregnancy?

Find a family doctor and schedule an appointment

Choosing between an OB-GYN and midwife for pregnancy care: What to consider

Choosing who to trust with your pregnancy care and kid's nascency is a very personal decision. Your goals, preferences, and health and safety should all be top of mind. Here are some things to consider as yous counterbalance your options.

Is your pregnancy considered high risk?

If your pregnancy is deemed high risk or complicated, y'all'll work with an OB-GYN who may also coordinate care with a maternal-fetal medicine doctor, who specialize in loftier-risk pregnancies. Remember, midwives focus simply on depression-run a risk pregnancies and births.

What is a high-adventure pregnancy? If you have a preexisting medical condition similar diabetes or high blood pressure, you may be considered high run a risk. If you lot're expecting twins, triplets or other multiples, your pregnancy may be considered both loftier risk and complicated.

Where exercise you want to deliver your infant?

If y'all're low risk and are considering a domicile nascence or a freestanding birth middle, a midwife is likely at the top of your listing of potential care providers.

Only the vast majority of births happen at hospitals or their attached nascency centers, where both OB-GYNs and midwives can deliver babies. Hospitals are e'er the safest identify to evangelize your baby.

However, virtually OB-GYNs and midwives just deliver at one or ii select hospitals. So, when you're choosing between a midwife and OB-GYN, you may also exist choosing a hospital to give nascence at.

How practise you want to deliver your baby?

If you're depression risk and leaning toward a water birth or hypnobirthing, an experienced midwife is who you'll desire to await into. Only regardless of risk, if yous recall you lot'd exist more than comfortable with a medical doctor providing your care, then an OB-GYN might be the best fit.

If you lot want a broad range of birthing and hurting direction options so you tin can have flexibility when birth 24-hour interval arrives, finding a midwife or an OB-GYN who delivers at a hospital is key.

How practise you want to manage pain during labor and commitment?

Whether you're planning to forgo hurting medication or you know you want an epidural, both midwives and OB-GYNs can provide you with a range of options.

That said, midwives ofttimes specialize in natural or little-to-no pain medication births. And so, make certain to ask any midwives you're considering almost their experience in this area.

Your hurting management options volition as well be limited if yous cull a home birth or a freestanding nascency center. So, if at that place'due south whatsoever gamble that you may desire more options or you merely want some peace of listen, make sure you cull a hospital to deliver at.

What kind of squad practise they piece of work with?

The person you choose volition likely be part of a larger squad. Some teams are multi-disciplinary, meaning they work alongside a lot of unlike specialists. Other teams may be more than focused inside their specialty area.

Information technology's of import to understand what kind of team your midwife or OB-GYN works with for a few reasons:

  • If y'all choose a midwife for care, y'all'll want to make sure they take the ability to coordinate care with an OB-GYN and other specialists if complications arise.
  • Depending on the appointment type, you may not see your OB-GYN or midwife for every prenatal appointment. So, it's proficient to discover out who you may exist getting care from on a regular basis.
  • The midwife or OB-GYN you choose for prenatal care may or may not be the one to deliver your baby. Every dispensary is different but OB-GYNs and midwives normally share infirmary on-phone call duties with a group of others in their field. That means "your" doctor may not be on-telephone call when baby decides to make their archway. So, for peace of mind, it'southward good to know who's on their squad.

What kind of ongoing care practise you want?

OB-GYNs and midwives can provide ongoing care for your reproductive health. And then, as y'all're looking at your options, recall about whether you want someone you can see for years (and maybe even pregnancies) to come. Retrieve near the qualities and areas of expertise that are important to you, from preventive intendance to fertility.

What kind of coverage does your insurance plan offer?

Many women wonder if in that location is a toll difference for an OB-GYN versus a midwife. But the cost of delivering a baby primarily varies based on where you deliver and what type of delivery you have, not who delivers your babe.

It all depends on your health insurance plan. The 1 exception here may exist home births. Home births are usually not covered by most insurance plans.

Also, it's quite possible that not every infirmary or birthing center is included in your specific insurance programme. Also, in that location are unlike insurance coverage levels associated with C-sections and vaginal deliveries.

And so, earlier y'all brand any appointments, information technology's best to bank check with your health plan to empathize your coverage. There'southward no such matter every bit a silly question. Member services representatives are at that place to respond exactly these types of calls.

If yous take HealthPartners insurance, you can log into your HealthPartners online account. Or, call Member Services at the number on the dorsum of your member ID card.

Ready to find your pregnancy person? We can aid.

Nosotros attempt to go far as simple as possible for you lot to observe the correct specialist for your pregnancy care.

Through our doc friction match tool, you'll answer a few unproblematic questions and nosotros'll match yous with doctors and certified nurse midwives who fit your preferences. From there you lot can make an date with the person of your selection, or you tin can explore their individual profiles and reviews to aid you choose.

Another manner we make it easy for you to get great intendance is by offering a range of appointment options, which includes in-person and video visits for prenatal intendance.

Start your search today

Notice an OB-GYN and schedule an date   Find a midwife and schedule an appointment