Choosing your midwife has a dramatic impact on the way that you will experience your birth and the outcome of it. It’s so crucial to be intentional about your birth team – the people you choose to attend your birth. Feel free to bring this list of questions when you are interviewing a midwife.

Here’s a list of valuable questions to ask midwives when you interview them in your local area. This list is adapted from resources from Preparing for Birth, a midwife team in Colorado Springs including Desirre Andrews and Tiffany Miller. Asking questions will give you a glimpse into who they are, why they practice the way that they do, and how they can support you during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Not sure the difference between a midwife and a doula? Click here.

1. Why did you become a midwife and why do you continue to do this work?
   
2. Are you a CPM or a CNM? What’s the difference? What made you choose this particular track of training?
   
3. What are 3 things you wish your clients understood about home birth and/or midwifery care?
   
4. What is your favorite part of this work?
   
5. What is your least favorite part?
   
6. Do you recommend childbirth education for all your clients? Why or why not?
   
7. How do you feel about doulas? How do you feel about birth photographers?
   
8. What is your favorite birth book or resource? Why?
   
9. What services are available at the hospital that you are not able to provide? What services do you provide that the hospital does not?
   
10. What are your hobbies and passions outside of birth? What are your favorite books/movies/TV shows etc (Finding common ground may reveal some compatibilities in personality.)
    
11. How would you describe your personal approach to care?
    
    1. Are you more hands-on or more in the background?
       
    2. Are you more likely to use natural interventions or less likely?
       
    3. Under what circumstances do you tend to “do” more?
       
12. What is your transfer (to hospital) rate? And what are the most common reasons and what do those transfers look like?
    
13. How late can you continue care in pregnancy (until what gestation) and what would happen if I go beyond that?
    
    1. When, if ever, do you encourage induction and by what methods?
       

“The midwife must possess the hand of a lady, the eyes of a hawk, and the heart of a lion.”
— Unknown

Here’s a list of excellent home birth midwives in Colorado Springs that I personally have attended births with and highly recommend:

Kim Osterholtzer of Born for This
Jessica Nipp of Holistic Homebirth
Tiffany Jorgenson, CNM of Mountain Miracles Midwifery
Emily Thompson and Jennifer Green of Organic Homebirth

If you have suggestions to add to this list for interviewing a midwife, please add them below!

Here are the questions to ask when interviewing a doula.