If you are seeing someone other than your midwife for lab work and a physical exam, ask your midwife ahead of time if she would like the results to be mailed or faxed to her or if she would prefer it be mailed to you. If your midwife wants the records sent directly to her be sure to bring all of her contact information. Due to the The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you will be asked to fill out and sign a form stating that it is ok for your medical records to be released to a third party or you.

You can expect to spend a lot of time with your midwife at your first prenatal visit. This is when the both of you will get further acquainted. You will discuss a variety of topics like your health, her limitations, complications at home births and hospital transfers. She will also perform your prenatal exam.

The safety of a birth at home is dependant on your health throughout pregnancy. As a result, your midwife will have risk factors that could make you ineligible for a homebirth if you meet them at any time during your pregnancy. Risk factors vary from midwife to midwife and from doctor to midwife. Therefore, if your doctor has said you are “high risk,” don’t assume your midwife will agree. She will use her risk assessment to determine if this is true. Your midwife will ask you many questions about your health history, some can be quite personal, like if you have had an abortion or if you have certain diseases. It is important to be honest. If you feel, or have been told by a doctor or other midwife that you have risk factors that prevent you from having a homebirth, it is imperative for your sake and the sake of your midwife that you do not hide this information. Your midwife will want to know of any previous pregnancies and if any ended in miscarriage or if there were any complications. She will want to know if you have any health problems or if there is a history of certain conditions in your family. To determine your due date she will want to know the first day of your last period, if your menstrual cycles occur regularly and what day you believe you conceived.

Your midwife has set limits on what she is able to confidently and safely perform during your pregnancy and birth. She should discuss these limitations with you. It is important to ask questions and to respect her boundaries. Although most homebirths go as planned, the unexpected can occur. She should discuss with you what would involve a transfer to the hospital and what course of action that she will take in that situation. It is important to trust her limits and not disagree if she suggests that a transfer to the hospital is in order. If you feel that you cannot trust her judgment, then you may need to find a midwife with whom you are better suited.

You will probably discuss payment options with your midwife before your first prenatal visit and you’ll most likely find that your midwife charges far less than it would cost you out of pocket to pay a doctor. In fact, some midwives offer a sliding scale, will barter, offer monthly installments, or a total to be paid by a certain date, as well as a variety of other options. From your first prenatal visit you will quickly experience the quality and quantity of care from your midwife far exceeds that of most doctors. Therefore, it is important to do everything in your power to uphold the payment agreement that you’ve established with her.

Although your first visit will be a lot of paperwork and discussion you can also expect to have a prenatal exam! The midwife will probably take your blood pressure, show you how to check your urine with a chemstrip, and she will try to get the baby’s heart tones. She will discuss any pregnancy symptoms you may be having like morning sickness as well as discuss your nutrition and prenatal vitamins.

You will continue to see her every month until your 28th week when you will see her every other week and at your 36th week when you’ll begin to see her weekly.

Overall you can expect your first prenatal visit to be very informative and a time to begin bonding with your midwife. You will find that each prenatal visit is a learning experience, whether it is about birth or about your own personal growth or spiritual healing, if you and your midwife are a good fit you can expect your first prenatal visit to be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.