7 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Pregnancy Provider

Content medically reviewed by Michael Kassing, MD

For many, pregnancy is filled with planning and decisions. If you’re expecting a baby, one of your first decisions will be choosing a pregnancy provider.

Having a supportive pregnancy provider can help you navigate the challenges and milestones of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. With so much on your plate, though, finding the right provider might feel a bit overwhelming.

Ask Yourself These Questions When Choosing a Pregnancy Provider

You want to choose the right pregnancy provider, but what does that look like? Medical providers, including pregnancy providers, aren’t one-size-fits-all. What’s right for you might be different than what’s right for a friend or family member.

When you’re making the decision, it can help to have a list of questions you need answered. These questions can help you narrow your search and identify the pregnancy provider who’s right for you –

1. What Credentials and Experience Does the Provider Have?

Choosing a provider with specialized expertise in pregnancy care and years of hands-on experience can put your mind at ease when you have questions or problems arise.

You can dig into some of these details through an online search of Essentia Health providers. On our website, we include provider profiles that share information about their medical training, experience, and certifications.

Many of our provider profiles also feature videos that give you a more personal introduction to the providers. These videos provide additional insights into the provider’s personality, communication style, and approach to care. It’s a great way to get to know your provider before your first appointment and establish a sense of connection right from the start.

2. Does the Provider’s Medical Specialty Align With Your Pregnancy Needs?

When you think about women’s health providers, an OB/GYN might come to mind. While OB/GYNs do provide pregnancy care, they aren’t the only pregnancy providers.

As you choose a provider, consider the type of care you need and want –

• Certified nurse-midwives have training in nursing and midwifery, a field of medicine that includes pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. They can provide care during labor and delivery, and they often partner with OBs in cases that require advanced or surgical care.
• Family medicine with OB providers are trained in family medicine and the female reproductive system, allowing them to provide care during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
• Obstetricians, also called OBs, are doctors with specialized training in women’s health, including reproductive health. They can provide medical care throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery and surgical services, such as a C-section.

Any provider described above delivers babies, but they each offer unique benefits and care. Certified-nurse midwives, for example, provide a more holistic approach to pregnancy and postpartum care.

Consider what will work best for you. You might want a provider who provides only women’s health care, or you might want the consistency of working with your family medicine provider during your pregnancy and beyond.

If you have risk factors for complications or develop complications such as preeclampsia, you may need to see a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. This doctor specializes in caring for those with high-risk pregnancies and may offer advanced services such as fetal monitoring and prenatal testing for congenital birth defects.

3. What Do Others Say About the Provider’s Care?

If you’ve told people you’re expecting, you may have gotten unsolicited feedback about pregnancy providers from friends and family members. Unsolicited or not, hearing from others about a specific provider can help you choose your own.

Providers bios on the Essentia Health website include ratings (out of five stars) and reviews that empower you to make informed decisions about your pregnancy provider. The ratings are based on patient survey results, so you can feel good about choosing a provider who has consistently delivered positive experiences to others.

You shouldn’t just look at the stars, though. Read through the comments to see what aspects of care patients liked or didn’t like.

4. Is the Provider ‘in Network’ With Your Insurance Plan?

When you’re identifying potential pregnancy providers, check (and double-check) that they’re part of your insurance plan’s network of covered providers.

Under most insurance plans, you’ll pay much less for services from an in-network provider than for one who’s out of network. In some cases, out-of-network care isn’t covered at all, leaving you with higher medical bills.

Essentia Health providers accept most health insurances, including those from other health systems.

5. Can You Access the Provider’s Office Conveniently?

During pregnancy, you’ll be seeing your provider regularly. When you’re researching pregnancy providers, be sure to consider where their offices are located. It may be most convenient for you to have a provider with an office near your home, or you might want one closer to your workplace.

The Essentia Health website simplifies the process of finding a provider whose office is convenient for you. With interactive maps and directions linked directly to each provider’s profile, you can quickly locate offices near your work, home, or other convenient places. This easy access to location information helps you plan your visits and ensures you choose a provider who fits seamlessly into your busy schedule.

6. Are You Comfortable With the Provider?

You need a pregnancy provider you can trust. It can be helpful to meet with the provider to gauge whether you’re comfortable with each other.

If you find that you feel anxious or uncertain about a provider, they might not be the right choice for you. On the other hand, if you easily develop a rapport with them, they might be the perfect provider for you.

7. How Can You Get in Touch With Your Provider?

During your pregnancy, you’re going to have questions and concerns. While most of the time you can wait until your next prenatal appointment to ask a question, sometimes it can’t wait.

When you meet with a prospective provider, talk about what to do in those situations. If you call the office and leave a message, will it be promptly returned? Should you send a message through MyChart?

It’s important to know those details ahead of time, and it can help to find a provider whose communication style and methods match yours.

Settling in With a Pregnancy Provider

Choosing a pregnancy provider is usually one of the first decisions you need to make during pregnancy because you should make your first prenatal appointment as soon as you realize you’re pregnant—and that appointment will usually take place between weeks 8 and 12.

Once you find out you’re pregnant, you should reach out to schedule this appointment, where they’ll confirm your pregnancy and give you an estimated due date.