Note * this post will be most relevant to those who live in Canada, specifically in Ontario.
When I was newly pregnant, my family doctor posed the first of many questions to me. My preferred choice for prenatal care. In Ontario, expectant mothers can opt for pregnancy care under a registered midwife clinic or the OB of their choosing. Both are great options - it's simply about personal choice *along with medical considerations if needed.
At the time, (2018) I didn't know anything about the business of choosing prenatal care (I assume this is most newly pregnant women). I had a few close friends with baby #1, all of which had gone the OB route. To determine what was best for me I spent a couple weeks researching, questioning everything & speaking with close friends and family. My goal here is actually not to convince you of the "better" choice. There isn't one! Instead I want to share more about the midwife experience because I felt there was a knowledge gap when I went searching. Also, I am not a medical professional, midwife expert... just a mom. For serious questions: seek out serious opinions ;)
Some things I found beneficial from the midwife experience (mostly in my first pregnancy; the second pregnancy has had COVID implications).
You'll have greater certainty around who is at your delivery & support your labour. Midwives come in teams of 2 (with 2 & 3 additional back-up teams) that you'll meet throughout your pregnancy. You'll be pretty much guaranteed that your primary and secondary midwives will be available and in attendance of your birth.
Generally increased care & attention at your prenatal appointments is provided. Midwives are in the business of babies only so they can allocate 30/45 min to each appointment.
After care - this is the big one. For six weeks post delivery your midwife will come to your home to check on you & baby. They provide support on breastfeeding, postpartum healing & offer support in the form of varied experience.
They also offer home births & hospital support. A lot of mothers interested in unmedicated birth options will likely find a midwife to have more experience with this choice.
Why I decided a midwife was right for me:
I like talking through questions & connecting with people. I knew a midwife would nurture those desires I had.
My OB/family practise delivered at a downtown hospital and I wanted to deliver closer to home.
I was interested in exploring a more "natural approach" to my pregnancy. While I didn't want to commit to no epidural (I got one & I loved my birth!) there are a lot of other choices in pregnancy and birth where I felt midwives offered a few more options and I liked that)
The idea that after baby my midwife would be able to visit me at home was honestly really lovely. Most parents will tell you the most terrifying part after baby is leaving the hospital with the baby.
In the end, there's no right or wrong choice & this post is very high-level overview, but I hope it provides a little more context into an option. You might of course, be limited in choice based on your medical history, where you live.... my only advice is that you'll make the choice that is right for you, right now & it will be good enough.
Did you have a midwife or an OB? Will you use them again? I'd love to know in the comments.