CONGRATS!!! You're pregnant! Now what? Here is where you learn all the things you need to do and what you need to know after you learn that you are pregnant.

1. First, decide where you will want to birth your baby. Hospital, birth center, or at home?

2. Find a great care provider that delivers at the location you prefer. In the U.S. most women go with an Obstetrician or OB, but that is not your only choice. There are also midwives. A certified nurse midwife usually delivers in a hospital but might also be at a birth center or do home births. A certified professional midwife won't deliver at a hospital but instead will be either at a birth center or attend home births. When you are deciding on a provider here are some important things to remember: Find someone on the same page as you. What are your goals and dreams for your birth experience? Think it through before going to the interview with a provider. Look up a birth plan ( here is a HypnoBirthing Birth Preference sheet to give you an idea). Decide what you want and what you don't want. HypnoBirthing calls it a birth preference sheet because there is no planning birth so be emotionally prepared if things don't go exactly like you think they will.
When you go in for the interview, do not go in saying, "I want this, I do not want that. Will you do that?". Instead, ask lot's of questions and let them do talking. Try to get an idea of what their normal standards of care look like. Ask things like, "How often do you support moms who labor naturally? If this comes up how will you handle it? What is your rate of cesarean? How often do you perform an episiotomy? Are you supportive of delayed cord clamping? You get the point. All of the things that are important to you for the birth and all of your goals need to be discussed, just do it in a way where you are learning how your care provider would usually handle it rather than giving them the run down of what you do and do not want.
Now this is a lot to know before even picking that special person who you will allow to support you during your most vulnerable and precious time of life but do not stress(stress is not good for you or baby). You can always start care with one provider and at any point in the pregnancy you can switch to someone different. It really is no big deal to switch. It is never too late, and you are never stuck with one. Do not settle on this choice!

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