The difference between a Midwife and an OB

baby in hospital after childbirth with tag on ankle

Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

There is a good chance you have been seeing a gynecologist for your women’s health up to this point. Your provider is probably an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist). Many women assume that they will just continue to see this person once they are pregnant. However, sometimes you hit a (baby) bump in the road. Like what I did there?

You might be surprised  to learn that your OB doesn’t deliver babies. Or, if they do, you might have found out that they don’t attend births where you’d like to have your baby. Now you have a decision to make.

Who will care for me during my pregnancy and for my postpartum care?

Don’t feel silly if you aren’t sure what the difference between a Midwife and an OB is. It’s a really common question. 

I think the following article does a really nice job of explaining some of the differences. The article is called “Here’s How To Choose Between An OB And A Midwife”. By JEANNE SAGER Link to article here

I plan to do another post on the differences between home births, birthing centers, and hospital births. I want to mention this though. If you’re not completely set on your provider, perhaps consider the environment you want to welcome your baby into the world in. If you decide you want to deliver in a birthing center, tour a few, and once you decide which suits you best, you can find out who (meaning which practice) attends births there. That’s actually what I did. I continued to see my OB-GYN in the early stages of my pregnancy and as soon as I decided where I wanted to birth my baby, I did research on who attended births there, and switched providers. I can help you with referrals if you need. 

The takeaway is, the option is yours, and you have the ability to explore options and choose the provider who best meets your wants and needs.

~ Desirae

Desirae Whittle