Martha Jefferson Hospital offers a number of caring and experienced doctors and midwives to help guide you through your pregnancy, labor and delivery. We are the only hospital in the area that allows midwives to deliver. If you need help finding an obstetrician or a midwife, please call our referral line at 434-982-7009 or toll free at 1-888-652-6663; or refer to our online Physicians Directory.

Here are some questions you may want to ask when choosing your delivering practitioner:

Basic Questions

• What are your office hours? In the case of an emergency, what is the policy after-hours, on weekends and on holidays?
  
  
• Can I call your office when I have questions? How soon will my calls be returned? Will I speak to you or a nurse?
  
  
• Are you part of a group or private practice?


• Who will I see at my visits?


• What hospitals are you affiliated with?

• Where did you attend medical school? Complete residency?
  
  
• How long have you been in practice?
  
  
• Are you a board-certified obstetrician?


• Are you a member of any professional organizations?


• How many babies have you delivered?

• Are the obstetrician fees covered by your insurance plan?


• What is the payment policy at the office?


• Can I make financial arrangements for visits that will not be reimbursed by my insurance company?


• Will you process insurance claims forms for me? If not, will your office staff help me with these forms?

• What is your recommended schedule of prenatal visits?


• How much time will you actually spend with me at each visit?


• Will you be my obstetrician throughout my pregnancy, labor and delivery?


• What types of tests will you routinely perform during pregnancy? (i.e. Gestational diabetes)

• How do you manage patients in labor?
  
  
• Will you actually deliver my baby? If not, who will?
  
  
• When will you arrive at the hospital once I go into labor?
  
  
• How much time will you spend with me while I’m in labor?
  
  
• What are your views on…

• Natural versus medicinal (narcotics, epidurals) pain relief
• Vaginal births versus C-sections
• Activity during labor
• Birthing techniques
• Labor induction
• Handling common childbirth complications

• How often do you induce labor, perform episiotomies and cesareans?

• If these rates are high, ask why – for the convenience of the doctor or the health of the patient?
  
  
• Will you provide breastfeeding support and postpartum care?