Your obstetrician is a important partner in managing your pregnancy. This guide to how to find a obstetrician will help you find a obstetrician who meets your needs.

You want an experienced well educated obstetrician to provide medical care for you and your baby during your pregnancy, but there are other criteria that may be important to you as well. You need to think about what is important to you in your pregnancy care, get referrals, and check the obstetrician's credentials before selecting the obstetrician who will deliver your baby.

Different obstetricians have differing styles and philosophies. Some supervise midwives who attend home births, some only work in large teaching hospitals with very rigid protocols. Most are somewhere in between, so it's important for you to identify what's most important to you, so that you can make the choice that's best for you.

1. What type of birth experience do you want?
2. Do you want pain medication?
3. Are you considering a home birth?
4. How many family members do you want in attendance?
5. Do you want to see the doctor at every visit, or would you prefer most of your day to day care be handled by a nurse practitioner?
6. Does your health plan limit you to a pre-approved list of obstetricians?
7. Are you a high risk pregnancy?

After thinking about what you want from an obstetrician, you should begin your search by asking for referrals.

1. Ask friends and family for names of obstetricians they've used. Ask them what they liked and didn't like about the obstetrician and his or her practice,
2. Call local hospitals for names of obstetricians that are accepting new patients.
3. Ask other health professionals, including your gynecologist, for names of obstetricians they recommend.
4. If you're planning on breast feeding, attend a local La Leche meeting and ask the leaders for names of supportive and experienced obstetricians, as their feelings about nursing will help you get off to a good start.
5. The American Medical Association provides referrals to member obstetricians.

1. Make sure the obstetrician is board certified in obstetrics.
2. Check with your state's medical board to make sure the obstetrician is licensed and in good standing with the board. Some states list malpractice lawsuits on their websites, so you'll want to make sure to check those out as well.
3. There are several internet sites, such as HealthGrade that list information on doctors, including some obstetricians. As all obstetricians are not listed, it's not an indication of a problem if a obstetrician you are considering is not listed on the site.