Questions to ask your Obstetrician or Midwife April/May 2009 edition

Find out the best questions to ask your midwife and obstetrician with Dr Foster Health

If you have been referred by your GP to hospital or birth unit for an operation or other treatment related to your fertility or pregnancy, Dr Foster Health's Questions to Ask Your Obstetrician or Midwife series will help you get the most out of your consultation experience.

Introduction

Women are now being offered a variety of options for their maternity care. Many areas provide midwife-led birth centres, or home delivery for women that are at low risk of complications. However, some areas are still limited in the range of options that are available.

Questions for your midwife or GP

Do I have a choice of who cares for me?

All women, who are at a low risk of complications, are offered a choice as to who looks after them in the period up to the birth (antenatal care), including care led by a GP or a midwife, or centred on a hospital-based maternity unit. Women with a higher risk of complication have care that is shared between an obstetrician, a local midwife and a GP.

You may wish to find out about the experience and special interests of the health professional undertaking your antenatal care and expressing a choice if you have one.

What tests will be done in pregnancy and when?

You will usually have an ultrasound scan at around 12 weeks to check that the pregnancy is proceeding well and confirm your due date.

An eight-week scan to provide early warning of certain conditions might also be available, but not all birth units will offer this. A further ultrasound scan is usually carried out after 20 weeks. You may wish to find out what tests are available, when you can have them, what they cover and any associated risks.

Visit Dr Foster Health's Birth Guide to see which birth units routinely offer pre-natal screening tests.

Do I have a choice of where to give birth?

Most women have views on whether they want to give birth at home, in hospital or in a midwifery unit attached to a hospital. If you have a low risk pregnancy you will usually be able to choose any of these options.

Will I have the choice of a water birth?

You will have a choice for a water birth at many hospital birth units. Some units deal with as many as 800 water births a year. If you are having a home birth, birthing pools are available to hire - but you need to make sure that your midwife agrees that you have a low risk pregnancy and that this option is suitable for you.

What pain relief is available?

Some women do not need pain relief during labour, but it is worth checking about the types of pain relief available in case they are needed.

Etonox (gas and air) and the painkilling drug pethidine will be available in almost all units. Around a third of women will have an epidural ⁽¹⁾ - a painkiller injected into the fluid around the spine. But epidurals are not routinely available in all hospitals.

Talk to your midwife about the advantages and disadvantages of each form of pain relief.