Choosing a Midwife, Birth Center or Doula: Questions to Ask
A checklist for interviewing midwives, birth centers and doulas, from license checks to transfer plans and fees.
Choosing a midwife, birth center or doula is personal, and you will spend a lot of time with them. Most offer a free first meeting. This guide is a checklist for those interviews: what to check before you meet, what to ask, and what to listen for. It is general information, not medical advice; your health and pregnancy determine which options are safe for you, and that is a question for a qualified clinician.
Before you meet: check the license
Look the provider up before the interview. For a certified nurse-midwife or certified midwife, check the state license (usually with the board of nursing or a midwifery board) and certification with the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB). For a certified professional midwife or licensed midwife, check the state midwifery license, if your state issues one, and NARM certification (NARM). For a birth center, ask for its state license and check the CABC list of accredited centers (CABC).
Each listing here shows the license number the provider entered on their NPI record, where there is one. It is a starting point for that lookup, not a verified license.
Questions for a midwife
- What are your credentials and license? How long have you practiced, and how many births do you attend a year?
- Where do you attend births: hospital, birth center, home? Which hospital do you have privileges at, or transfer to?
- Who else is in the practice, and who will be at my birth if you are unavailable? Can I meet them?
- How many prenatal visits will I have, and how long are they?
- What would make you recommend a transfer of care to a physician or hospital, during pregnancy or in labor? How often does that happen in your practice?
- For a home birth: what equipment and medications do you bring, who assists you, and what is your emergency plan?
- What postpartum care do you provide, for how long, and do you visit at home?
- How do you support breastfeeding? Is there a lactation consultant (IBCLC) in the practice?
- What is your fee, what does it include, and which insurance or Medicaid plans do you accept?
Questions for a birth center
- Is the center licensed by the state and accredited by CABC?
- Who attends births, and what are their credentials?
- Which hospital do you transfer to, how far is it, and how is a transfer handled?
- What makes someone ineligible to give birth here, and when is that decided?
- What pain relief options are available?
- What is included in the fee, and what happens to it if I transfer?
Questions for a doula
A doula provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support; DONA International defines the role in those terms (DONA International). A doula does not give medical care or make decisions for you.
- What training and certification do you have? How many births have you supported?
- How many prenatal meetings are included, and when do you join me in labor?
- Do you have a backup doula, and can I meet them?
- Have you worked at my hospital or birth center, or with my midwife?
- What postpartum support is included?
- What is your fee, and is any part refundable? Are you enrolled with my Medicaid or insurance plan?
What to listen for
A good provider answers questions about transfers, emergencies and their own limits openly and specifically. Be cautious about anyone who dismisses the need for a hospital backup plan, discourages you from seeing a doctor when you have concerns, or can't tell you who covers when they are away. Equally, notice whether they listen to your preferences and explain their reasoning.
When to start looking
Start early. Midwifery practices and birth centers often take a limited number of clients each month, and popular ones fill up; many want you to start prenatal care with them early in pregnancy. Doulas also book by due date. If you are thinking about a birth center or home birth, ask about the latest point in pregnancy at which they accept new clients, and what records they need from any care you have already had.
Changing providers
You can change midwives, birth centers or doulas during pregnancy. If the relationship isn't working, or your health changes, ask for your records, check what your agreement says about refunds, and make sure your new provider has everything before you leave the old one.
Ask for references
Ask a midwife or doula whether former clients are willing to talk to you. Ask those clients what went well, what they would change, and how the provider handled anything unexpected. If a doula works mostly at one hospital or birth center, ask the staff there, too: midwives and nurses often know which doulas work well with their teams.
Get it in writing
Most midwives, birth centers and doulas use a written care agreement or contract. Read it before you sign: what care is included, the fee and refund terms, who covers when the provider is unavailable, and how either side can end the agreement. Keep a copy.
Using this directory
The listings here come from the federal NPI registry: birth centers, midwifery practices and doula organizations, and individual midwives (NPPES). Each profile shows the registered specialty, the credentials and license number the provider entered, how long the NPI has existed, other practice locations on file, and who else lists the same street address. Specialties and credentials are self-reported. We do not rate providers, and a listing is not a recommendation.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Midwife & Birth Center Index is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, nurse, discharge planner or other qualified professional. Do not use it to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.