Childbirth is a very special time, so it's important that the chemistry is right between you and your care provider. The physicians and midwives who deliver at Evergreen all share our commitment to quality, family-centered maternity care.
The Evergreen Healthline’s referral service at 425.899.3000 can help you find a provider who also meets your needs for office location, office hours and insurance. You can also search our database of Evergreen-affiliated providers.
Once you have found one or more providers who meet your needs, you’ll want to schedule a “meet and greet” appointment before making a final decision. Asking open-ended questions will help you get the most informative answers about a provider's philosophy. Also, try not to make the provider's gender an issue. There are a lot of wonderful providers – male and female. A provider's philosophy of care should be more important than gender.
Family Maternity Center experts recommend asking the following questions:
Qualifications
- Are you board certified or credentialed?
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many babies do you deliver in a month?
Routine Practices
- What are your fees for office visits and delivery?
- What are your views on weight gain, nutrition and exercise during pregnancy?
- What prenatal tests do you do routinely, and why?
- What kinds of procedures do you routinely order for women in labor (IV's, medications, etc.)?
- What percentage of your patients are induced, and what are the main reasons?
- What percentage of you patients are delivered by C-section? The C-section rate in the Pacific Northwest is 16-20%. If the provider's rate is significantly higher, you'll want to know why.
What is the scheduled length of your office visits?
- To whom should I address questions between office visits?
- At what point during my labor will you arrive?
- How likely is it that you will be there for my birth? May I meet the others who may be there if you're not?
Harmony
- What is your philosophy about childbearing and birth?
- What role do your patients play in making decisions about their own care?
- How do you feel about family visits during pregnancy, the role of the partner and the presence of older children during a birth?