Most Important Questions To Ask Midwife

A child is a dream of every woman after marriage. On the way to realizing that dream, it is essential to seek the assistance of a midwife. It is important to maintain that relationship until she delivers her child.

Also, after the delivery, until the child grows up because; the midwife provides basic security through careful advice for pregnant mothers, newborn children, and their families.

So, all pregnant women and mothers with newborn children should have a good idea about the things to ask from the midwives to maintain a good family life. Therefore, this article is all about the important questions to ask midwives. 

What are the most important questions to ask midwife? First of all, you have to know the role of a midwife. So, it can be simply identified as; a skilled, respectful, knowledgeable, and compassionate care provider for newborns, pregnant women, and their families. Then, pay your attention to having the assistance of them during the pregnancy by asking the basic things that you want to know like; how often that you want to visit the midwife, the tests that you should do in this period, the way to manage the morning sickness, etc.

And do not hesitate to ask the questions that feel important to you related to labor and delivery. It may include; the things that can be done to deal with the pain, previous preparation for the delivery, etc. Also, you can ask anything from the midwife related to the child and you after the delivery. So, it is very important to maintain a good relationship with her during this period. 

Accordingly, in this article, I have covered who a midwife is and the time to contact her, the most important questions to ask from her related to pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Finally, I discuss the things that you should ask after the birth of your baby. 

Let’s get started.

Who is a midwife, and when to contact her?

A midwife can be simply identified as; the caregiver for newborn babies and pregnant mothers. They are skilled and trained professionals who have played a greater role in society from the past until the present.

Their service does not limit to physical caregiving. They also organize various sessions for pregnant ladies for their mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Accordingly, they are working as a professional healthcare team.

When focusing on the; questions to ask midwives, we should be concerned about their role in detail. Mainly, their service has been bound around three areas;

• Clinical caring services.
• Giving health education which includes antenatal education, childcare, family planning, etc.
• Providing support for women and their families within the childbearing period and after birth.

So, a midwife should have many qualities like; the ability to understand anyone and to work on own initiative, caring attitude, ability to deal with people, observation skills along with mental and emotional strength, maturity, patience, being responsible, and the capacity to stay calm and quiet in front of the distressing and uncomfortable situations.

This also includes counseling skills, as many new mothers want their help a lot. 

When do you want to contact a midwife? As soon as you get to know that you are pregnant, you have to contact her. It is better to contact her before passing 10 weeks after being pregnant because there are some tests to be done during that period.

And also, after the initial visit, you have to visit her often to attend the healthcare educational sessions and the clinics held by them.

And, make sure to contact her soon if your waters break, you are bleeding, you feel less movement of the baby than the usual movement, and if you think that you might be laboring even when you are less than 37 weeks pregnant.  

You can meet the midwives at health units, clinics, hospitals, midwifery units, community settings, etc. 

What are the most important questions to ask a midwife related to your pregnancy?

Motherhood is a lovely dream of every married woman. Your child is the person who gives you that valuable position. So, you have to protect him as your life when he comes to this world and when he is in your womb.

There, you should get the help of your midwife. She is the one who solves your problems related to you and your child during this period.

Accordingly, you can come with all the important questions to ask a midwife related to your pregnancy, especially if you are a new mother.

So, here let’s discuss those questions in detail.

1. How often is it required to visit the midwife during the pregnancy?

Every woman is not the same. They have different health conditions. Therefore, some women need to visit the midwife often, but others can only meet her at the clinic.

So, the visit depends on the health condition of the mother and the baby. 

Anyway, if the woman is healthy and experiences a normal pregnancy and if she is a first-time mother, 10-11 appointments are recommended.

And, if the woman already has a baby, it is recommended only 7-8 visits.

2. What are the tests that should be done in this period?

Here, many pregnant mothers are recommended to do the following tests;

• Blood tests to identify the level of hemoglobin, detect whether you have an infection, and identify the blood group.
• A dating scan is to be done between 10-12 weeks, where we also can check the downs syndrome.
• Genetic disorders are identified through blood screening tests.
• A detailed anomaly scan is done at around 20-22 weeks by showing the health condition of the baby and shows where the placenta of the woman is situated. 
• Again, a hemoglobin test is to be done at 28 weeks to check the women’s iron levels and to detect any antibodies in the blood. 

3. How to manage morning sickness?

Morning sickness, along with nausea, is a common symptom of pregnancy. Still, it will be very difficult to bear within the initial weeks.

So, many pregnant women try to avoid it by eating snacks, fruits between meals. Here, you can try out plain foods to manage this condition.

Also, add small and regular sips of water and keep you hydrated. Make sure not to drink large quantities of water at a time, which can upset your stomach again. 

Some women consume vitamin B 12 and ginger to control nausea. So, it is better if you can take ginger as a tablet, in food, or with tea.

And, do not take vitamin B 12 without the assistance of a professional because you should only consume the correct dosage as it can affect both you and your baby.

And, although morning sickness is common to many women, it can be worse if the mother can’t drink water and take food for long periods. Then, you should get the help of your healthcare provider.

4. What are the changes that should be made in the lifestyle in this period?

You have to make some changes to your normal lifestyle for the safety of your baby. 

• Do not smoke.
• Go to a healthy diet; there, you have to change the sweets like chocolates to fruits and nuts, consume vegetables and drink pure water.
• Avoid drinking alcohol.
• Reduce caffeine; it is recommended to get less than 200mg per day.
• Do exercises; yoga, swimming, walking are healthier during this period.

5. What foods are unfavourable?

There are low risks with food, but it is better to be careful when eating something. At present, it is recommended not to get unpasteurized milk, yogurts, cheese, etc., which are high in vitamin A are not good to eat frequently.

Undercooked meat also should not be consumed as it may contain harmful bacteria. It also includes uncooked soft yolks and eggs. It is favorable to eat cooked or especially ready meals. 

6. Is it safe to travel abroad?

Yes, it is safe to travel abroad. But, with the Covid-19 virus pandemic, you have to be careful when flying abroad.

You can do it by following the government’s advice of both origin and the destination country. You also should get advice from the healthcare provider about wearing the travel socks, sanitizing, vaccination, etc. 

What are the most important questions to ask midwives related to labor and delivery?

Every pregnant mother comes to this moment one day. This is the time that you see the face of your baby.

Therefore, it is very important to know all the things related to labor and delivery. So, you may have many questions to ask the midwife.

Here, I will provide you with some most important questions.

1. When to have maternity leave?

This is not common to all. Only the women who are doing jobs are concerned about this matter. Many women get maternity leave during 36-38 weeks of pregnancy if everything is normal with the mother and the job.

On the other hand, this can be changed based on the financial situation and the health condition.

2. What happens when mother’s waters break?

There are three common ways of breaking the waters of mothers. One is hind water break. Here, you can feel that the small gush of warm water will continuously trickle, and the underwear gets wet.

It is abnormal to feel anything dangerous with the hind water leak. So, it is better to inform the healthcare provider. 

Forewater leak is another way. In this case, you may feel that a big gush of water with a substantial trickle or many small gushes will continue until the baby gets birth. This mostly happens during labor or just after the delivery. 

In the next case, your midwife or the doctor may ask you about breaking your waters to speed up the labor or to bring the labor. Then you can agree or disagree. If you agree, it is important to ask them about the benefits and dangers of it.

When breaking the waters, it is involved with the vaginal examination. And they will break your waters with a crochet hook-like device.

Although the vaginal examination may feel uncomfortable, breaking off your waters may not feel to you. You will only feel the leaking gush of water which will continue until the labor. 

3. How many people can be taken with the women to the delivery room?

This is not common to all. It depends on the place you choose for the delivery. In some hospitals, your birthing partner is welcomed.

But, make sure to check the policies at your unit. And, if you choose a home, you can allow anyone you wish to come. The midwife will give the necessary advice to make a plan for this. 

4. How often do people poop when they are delivering the baby?

This can happen 50%. But, do not worry; the midwife will clear it away quickly.

No one cares about it at the moment. This is normal, and also it is a sign that the baby will come soon. 

5. How common are the emergency C-sections?

C-section means an emergency section, which gives the sense of unplanned situations. Most of the situations that are considered emergencies are not emergencies.

This is not very common at all. And the rate of this can be varied according to the birthplace and the healthcare providers.

6. How common are natural births? 

Natural birth is considered as a vaginal birth without the intervention of any induction, spinal or epidural. The rate of normal delivery of babies of healthy first-time mothers can often change according to the birthplace.

It has been reported that about 46% in hospitals, 63% in birth centers, 71% in freestanding birth centers, and 69% in home births. 

And, for healthy second-time mothers, this rate can be 79% in hospitals, 95% in freestanding birth centers, 91% in an alongside birth center, and 96% in home births. 

It is clear that the rate of normal deliveries changes according to the place, and do not forget that care providers also affect this. 

What are the most important questions to ask a midwife after the birth of the baby?

The relationship between the mother and the midwife does not end even after the birth of the child. Usually, the midwife is responsible for caring for you for 10-28 days after the delivery.

There will be many questions to ask midwife related to the baby, mother, and the family after the newcomer’s arrival. So, now let’s discuss those questions in more detail.

1. Is there anything wrong with my delivery?

This is common for mothers who experience unexpected C-section baby delivery.

So, it is good for you to clarify whether you can go to a vaginal delivery the next time. 

2. How is my bleeding? Is it normal?

Bleeding is normal after the birth of the child. It will gradually reduce and stop bypassing about a week or two.

There will be some light spotting from time to time within some mothers after the six months of the delivery. But, if you experience heavy bleeding, you have to inform the doctor or the midwife.

And, if you are not breastfeeding, you will see that the period cycle will resume after 6-8 weeks from the birth of the baby. If you are breastfeeding, it will take more than that time to resume the period cycle.

3. What can be done to reduce postpartum pain?

You can reduce the swelling and the pain in your perineum by using a frozen pad or sitting on an ice pack. Painkillers like; ibuprofen also will be a great pain reliever for you.

But, if you experienced a C-section, you want strong painkillers. And, if your pain does not reduce or if it becomes worse, you should tell it to the midwife or any other care provider.  

4. When will the mother start to exercise again?

Suppose you continuously did exercises when you were pregnant. In that case, you can start light exercises like walking and upper body exercises as soon as you feel that you are alright.

But, it is better to stay until getting full recovery if you experienced a C-section or a big vaginal repair. And, do not lift more than 10 pounds until you pass about 6 weeks after the C-section, and do not do anything that hurts your body during this period.

5. Can I start sex again?

Most of the time, you can start sex again after about 6 weeks of the delivery. But, remember that your body has undergone various changes, so the sex drive may have decreased. Hang with that until you set back.

6. Is breastfeeding important?

It has been recommended that it is important for babies to be breastfed until 6 six months because breast milk has a perfect balance of nutrients required for the baby.

Also, mother’s milk will boost their immune system. It also helps you to burn 500 calories per day. So, it will be easy for you to lose excess body weight.

And, if you are getting new medications while breastfeeding, do not get any medicine without the advice of the doctor, midwife, or your caregiver.

Conclusion – What questions to ask midwife

We have discussed; most important questions to ask a midwife with more details. I think this article will work out for all the mothers who are going to have new babies shortly as I have covered many important areas like; who is a midwife and the time to contact her, the most important questions to ask midwife related to the pregnancy, labor and delivery and finally, about the things that you should ask after the birth of your baby.

Having a baby is a nice experience regardless of any woman’s religion, nationality, and culture. A midwife is the basic care provider for them during their pregnancy and until they deliver the baby. It also lasts until 10-28 days after the delivery of the child.

So, throughout this whole period, you may have many questions to ask from her, like; how often is it required to visit the midwife during the pregnancy, what tests should be done during this period, how to manage the morning sickness, etc. during the pregnancy.

When to have maternity leave, what happens when mother’s waters break, how many people can be taken with the women at the delivery room, how often do people poop when they are delivering the baby, etc., during the labor and delivery.

And finally, you will have questions like; is there anything wrong with my delivery, how is my bleeding, is it normal, what can be done to reduce the postpartum pain, when does the mother can start to exercise again, can I start sex again, etc. after the birth of the baby.

Anyway, you can lead a happy and healthy life with the careful assistance of the midwife if you solve all the necessary questions by asking her.

Thank you for reading. Stay tuned with BestFamilyLife for more good content.