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Midwife or doctor

Who will be in charge of your care in pregnancy and birth: an obstetrician (a surgeon who handles complications), a midwife (a specialist in normal birth, in a hospital, birth center or at home), a family doctor who delivers babies, or a team that shares the care.

Should we choose a midwife or a doctor?

In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: Obstetrician (OB-GYN); Family physician who delivers; Certified nurse-midwife or midwife in a hospital; Midwife at a birth center or at home; Shared care (midwife with obstetrician backup). Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: during pregnancy.

Evidence
Evidence leans one way
Best settled
During pregnancy
Part of
Pregnancy to first birthday

Midwife or doctor: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 5 approaches.

  1. 1. Obstetrician (OB-GYN)

    A doctor who specializes in pregnancy, birth and surgery, including cesareans.

  2. 2. Family physician who delivers

    A family doctor who also delivers babies and can care for the whole family.

  3. 3. Certified nurse-midwife or midwife in a hospital

    A midwife, trained in normal pregnancy and birth, working in a hospital with doctors available.

  4. 4. Midwife at a birth center or at home

    A midwife who attends births outside the hospital.

  5. 5. Shared care (midwife with obstetrician backup)

    A midwife provides most of your care, with an obstetrician involved if complications arise.

Midwife or doctor: what does the evidence say?

Evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. (Leans (mixed evidence))

A 2024 Cochrane review found that midwife continuity-of-care models, where the same midwife follows you through pregnancy, birth and afterward, increased spontaneous vaginal birth and reduced cesarean and instrumental births, with little or no difference in preterm birth, postpartum bleeding or admission to special care. ACOG and the American College of Nurse-Midwives jointly affirm that obstetricians and certified nurse-midwives are each experts who collaborate according to a patient's needs. Whether you want a surgeon who handles complications, a midwife who focuses on normal birth, or both, is your call

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Different professionals can lead your care. Obstetricians handle high-risk pregnancies and perform cesareans; midwives focus on low-risk pregnancy and birth and refer to a doctor when needed. Many hospitals offer shared care, so this is often a matter of preference and of what is offered near you.

Questions to ask each other

  • What does a good birth look like to each of us, and who do we picture helping us get there?
  • How do we each feel about having an obstetrician close by in case something goes wrong?
  • Would seeing the same person throughout pregnancy and birth matter to us?

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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.