Choosing your health professional for pregnancy care
Several types of health professionals are trained to provide medical care or support for prenatal, labour and delivery, and postpartum care. These include:
- Obstetricians.
- Perinatologists (maternal-fetal health medicine specialists).
- Family doctors who provide obstetric care. (You may choose to have this type of doctor continue on as the child's doctor.)
- Registered midwives.
In addition to a trained medical professional, you may want to use a doula to provide support before and after delivery.
Some clinics and hospitals offer a group practise approach. Although you choose a primary caregiver, you will also see each of the other doctors at least once during your pregnancy. If your primary caregiver isn't available when you go into labour, you will then be familiar with the doctor or midwife who attends your delivery.
| Author: | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH | Last Updated: January 23, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Renée M. Crichlow, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
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