Doctors who deliver babies are called

What Is an Obstetrician? What They Do & When To See One

What is an obstetrician?

Obstetricians specialize in caring for people during preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and the first several weeks postpartum (after childbirth). They manage and treat health conditions associated with pregnancy to ensure both you and your baby are healthy.

What does an obstetrician do?

An obstetrician provides routine prenatal care to people who are pregnant. They also diagnose and treat complications during pregnancy. Obstetricians deliver your baby and monitor you after childbirth.

Your obstetrician is responsible for:

• Prenatal screenings, exams and lab tests.
• Evaluating your baby’s size, growth and position in your uterus.
• Detecting congenital anomalies or potential complications in conjunction with maternal-fetal medicine providers.
• Using ultrasound, blood tests, urinalysis and other tools to monitor your pregnancy.
• Treating health conditions that can affect your pregnancy or your baby.
• Managing labor and delivery, including labor induction, emergencies and medications.
• Providing postpartum care for up to six weeks after childbirth.

What's the difference between an obstetrician and a gynecologist?

An obstetrician provides care during pregnancy and delivers babies. A gynecologist doesn’t treat people who are pregnant or deliver babies, but specializes in the female reproductive system. It’s common for healthcare providers to combine these two areas of medicine. This is called obstetrics and gynecology or Ob/Gyn.

What's the difference between an obstetrician and a midwife?

A midwife provides the same care as an obstetrician, but they didn’t attend a medical school like an obstetrician. Midwives are professionally trained and certified to assist people who are pregnant in their prenatal care and delivery. Midwives tend to let people who are pregnant have more control over their baby’s birth. People who are pregnant may seek a midwife when they’re experiencing a low-risk pregnancy and desire aspects like fewer medical interventions or alternative pain methods. Some people will have a midwife in the delivery room with their obstetrician as an additional support person. Midwives work with obstetricians if additional care is necessary.

How does someone become an obstetrician?

First, you get a bachelor’s degree. Then, you pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) to get into a medical school. It usually takes about four years to earn a medical degree.

From there, you spend about four years in a residency program. In a residency program, you gain experience diagnosing and treating people who are pregnant and participating in births.

Some obstetricians receive extra training in subspecialties like maternal-fetal medicine (MFM), which focuses on caring for people who are pregnant and have chronic health conditions or issues that make them high-risk.

After residency, you can become certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG). This involves passing an oral and written exam. Some obstetricians are members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a professional organization for gynecologists and obstetricians.

Obstetricians must get a license to practice medicine. The requirements vary by state, but obstetricians must pass an examination to get their medical license and treat people.

What conditions do obstetricians treat?

In addition to monitoring your general wellness during pregnancy, obstetricians check for complications, diseases or conditions associated with pregnancy. They also monitor your growing baby’s health by measuring fundal height and doing ultrasounds.

Some of the most common conditions they help manage are:

• High blood pressure or preeclampsia.
• Ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages.
• Issues with the placenta like placental abruption.
• Morning sickness or nausea.
• Gestational diabetes.
• Infections.
• Muscle aches and pains.
• Genetic disorders.

Some obstetricians have additional experience managing higher-risk pregnancies. A high-risk pregnancy has a greater chance of complications. If the pregnancy is too high risk or beyond your obstetrician’s comfort level, they may refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.

What surgeries do obstetricians perform?

Obstetricians can perform surgeries related to pregnancy, labor and delivery. Some of the most common surgical procedures are:

• Episiotomy.
• Dilation and curettage (D&C).
• Vaginal delivery.
• Cesarean delivery.
• Cervical cerclage.
• Using forceps or a vacuum to assist with the birth.

When would I need to see an obstetrician?

You should see an obstetrician as soon as you know you’re pregnant. Obstetricians care for you and your baby for the duration of your pregnancy and several weeks postpartum (after you give birth).

You’ll see an obstetrician for the first time around seven or eight weeks after your last menstrual period and then monthly, biweekly and weekly as you near your due date. Most practices schedule a postpartum visit with your obstetrician about six weeks after you’ve given birth to make sure no other complications have developed.

Your prenatal care is centered around detecting potential complications at office visits or through exams and lab tests.

Some of the prenatal screenings, exams and routine lab tests you need during pregnancy are:

• Complete blood count (CBC) and other blood panels.
• Pap smear.
• Urinalysis.
• Screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Ultrasounds to assess the placenta and uterus.
• Group B Streptococcus screen.
• Glucose tolerance test (screens for gestational diabetes).
• Quad screening blood test for congenital disabilities.
• Fetal assessments using ultrasound and Doppler transducer.

After birth, your obstetrician monitors your bleeding, bowel and bladder function and checks you for signs of blood clots or other postpartum conditions. They’ll allow you to go home between one and four days later if your recovery is going well.

You’ll see your obstetrician at two or six weeks for a postpartum visit depending on medical issues associated with your pregnancy. During this visit, your healthcare provider will:

• Perform a pelvic exam and breast exam (if necessary).
• Make sure your uterus has returned to its pre-pregnancy size.
• Discuss your bleeding and other symptoms you’ve had during recovery.
• Talk to you about postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety.
• Determine if you can resume normal activities.
• Discuss birth control options and future pregnancies.

How do I choose an obstetrician?

Choosing an obstetrician you feel comfortable with can make your pregnancy and birthing experience more enjoyable. If possible, find an obstetrician or Ob/Gyn before getting pregnant. Ask your friends and family who they recommend or go online to read reviews. Your primary care physician or other healthcare providers can also recommend obstetricians.

Be sure to think about what is important to you during pregnancy and childbirth. Making a checklist may help. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are:

• Do I feel comfortable with this healthcare provider? Does my partner?
• Does this healthcare provider explain things clearly and answer my questions?
• What are this healthcare provider’s views on vaginal delivery, unmedicated birth or other things that are important to me?
• Who covers my care if my preferred provider isn’t available?

Some obstetricians or Ob/Gyns are in a group practice. Group practices often want you to see as many healthcare providers as possible for your prenatal care. This is because the obstetrician who is on-call the day you go into labor will deliver your baby. If you have a healthcare provider preference for prenatal visits, some practices can accommodate you. In the case of a scheduled C-section, you may have a greater chance of selecting your obstetrician.

It’s natural to prefer one healthcare provider over another. Remember that all obstetricians are trained and experienced in pregnancy and childbirth and want what’s best for your pregnancy.

Do obstetricians do C-sections?

Yes, your obstetrician received special surgical training to perform C-sections. They can handle any surgical emergencies during delivery.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

An obstetrician specializes in caring for people who are pregnant and delivering babies. They help treat conditions during pregnancy that could affect your or your baby’s health. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about your pregnancy, your baby and what you can expect during labor and delivery. They’re there to support you and give you and your baby the best care possible. You and your obstetrician both have the shared goal of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

What Is an Obstetrician?

Written by Judith Hurley, MS, RD

In this Article

• What Your OB Does
• How Your OB Works With Your Pregnancy Team
• Why You Might Need an OB
• How to Choose Your OB

An obstetrician is a doctor who specializes in pregnancy, childbirth, and a woman's reproductive system. Although other doctors can deliver babies, many women see an obstetrician, also called an OB/GYN. Your obstetrician can take care of you throughout your pregnancy, and give you follow-up care such as annual Pap tests for years to come.

OB/GYNs have graduated from medical school and completed a four-year residency program in obstetrics and gynecology. The residency trains them in pre-pregnancy health, pregnancy, labor and childbirth, health problems after childbirth, genetics, and genetic counseling. A board-certified OB has completed the residency training and passed rigorous written and oral exams.

What Your OB Does

During your pregnancy, your OB will:

• Monitor your health and your developing babies' health, including doing routine ultrasounds, measurements, and tests
• Check for health conditions that could cause problems during your pregnancy or affect your babies' health, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, infections, and genetic disorders
• Advise you about diet, exercise, medications, and staying healthy
• Help you cope with morning sickness, back and leg pain, heartburn, and other common pregnancy complaints
• Answer your questions about pregnancy and your growing baby
• Explain what will happen during labor and delivery

Your OB will also:

• Deliver your babies
• Monitor your health while you recuperate

How Your OB Works With Your Pregnancy Team

Your OB will play a central role before, during, and after your pregnancy.

• OBs work together with nurses, nurse-midwives, physician assistants, and other health professionals to provide your care. You may see these team members during your routine prenatal visits.
• Your OB may recommend that you and the dad-to-be attend pregnancy education or childbirth classes led by nurses or childbirth educators.
• When the big day arrives, nurses or labor coaches will help you through the hard work of labor, but your OB will monitor your progress and, when the time comes, deliver your babies.
• If your OB is in a group practice where the doctors share "on call" duties, another doctor in the group may deliver your babies. Be sure to ask about this when choosing your OB.

Why You Might Need an OB

Family doctors and midwives can also coordinate your pregnancy care, but there are certain situations where it may be important to seek care from an OB:

• If you are over 35 years old or have a high-risk pregnancy, you might want to get your prenatal care from an OB.
• Some women with high-risk pregnancies benefit from seeing a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, an OB with advanced training in complicated pregnancies.
• If a family practice doctor or midwife is providing your pregnancy care, and you develop complications, they will probably consult with or refer you to an OB.

If you are healthy and anticipate a healthy, normal pregnancy, you still may prefer to get your care from an OB.

How to Choose Your OB

When you start your search, ask your doctor for recommendations. You can also ask friends or family if there’s someone they might recommend. The questions below can help you choose the right OB for you.

• Does this doctor have a good reputation?
• What is this doctor's training and experience?
• What is the OB's general approach to pregnancy care and delivery?
• Will the OB support the type of delivery I want (elective induction, natural birth, water birth, no pain meds)?
• Am I comfortable with the OB's views about when to induce labor or perform a C-section?
• What percentage of the OB's patients have C-sections?
• What percentage of the OB's patients have episiotomies, and under what circumstances are they performed?
• If I want to work with a doula, will the OB support that choice?
• How does the OB manage pain during delivery?
• Who covers for the OB when they are not available?
• If another OB might handle the delivery, can I meet them beforehand?
• Does the doctor listen to me and explain things clearly?
• Is my spouse or partner comfortable with this doctor?
• Is the office staff pleasant and helpful?
• Is the office location convenient?
• How are emergencies and after-hour calls handled?
• What hospital is the OB affiliated with?
• Does my insurance cover this doctor's services?

Who's who in the maternity hospital

For starters - a general overview of the "persons involved" from the magazine "RODY. ru".

Obstetrician-gynecologist

The most important person. If the delivery room is seen as a battlefield, then the doctor in charge of childbirth is Napoleon. The “commander”, of course, can cut with a saber himself (that is, make injections) - but, most likely, he will not do this, because his job is to make strategic decisions. You also don’t need to require the doctor to hold your hand for the entire ten hours of labor (and accuse him of inattention if he refuses). The less often you see your doctor, the better, in fact. After all, this suggests that your birth is uncomplicated. With such a development of events, it is enough for a doctor to examine a woman in labor about once every 1–3 hours in order to understand where things are moving and what needs to be done. For example, puncture the fetal bladder to stimulate contractions, or prescribe medication, or call an anesthesiologist for pain relief. Operations such as amniotomy or episiotomy (puncture of the fetal bladder and incision of the perineum) are also performed only by a doctor.

Without a doctor's order, none of the staff has the right to take any action that may affect the course of childbirth. And this is justified: after all, he will have to answer for everything that the leading obstetrician now says and does, as well as for everything that his team does. After the first examination, while still in the admissions department, he draws up a proposed plan for childbirth and makes the necessary adjustments to it: childbirth is a process that is largely unpredictable, and sometimes surprises. The ability to see and even anticipate the likelihood of developing various complications is also the task of the doctor leading the birth.

Only a doctor can carry out an internal examination of a woman in labor throughout the birth, as well as after it. If tears or incisions are found, the doctor also sews them up. He also performs more serious operations in case of complications (for example, incomplete separation of the placenta, etc.).

Even after childbirth, the doctor will not leave you without attention. He will definitely appear in the ward on the same day or the next to see how his patient is feeling, to find out if anything is bothering her, and to make recommendations for the future.

Midwife

Some young mothers seriously insist that the main thing in childbirth is not what kind of doctor, but how experienced the midwife is. There is some truth in this, because most of the manipulations (as directed by the doctor) are performed by this lovely woman.

One midwife in the admission department performs the initial examination, helps the woman in labor with the toilet and registers her in the maternity hospital . Another in the antenatal ward puts droppers and makes injections. But we are interested in the third one - the one that is on duty in the delivery room or boxing. She prepares a chair for attempts and, at the direction of the doctor, puts a CTG sensor. But most importantly, at the time of the birth of the baby, she does everything possible to protect the woman's birth canal from tears and incisions. It is the midwife who receives the baby, carries out its first toilet, processes the umbilical cord, weighs, measures and passes it to the neonatologist for evaluation.

Anesthetist

An anesthetist is always part of the delivery team, even if the woman refuses pain relief. After all, anything can happen, and the anesthesiologist will have to deploy his equipment to ensure an emergency caesarean section. But it is possible that the woman in labor will not even see her anesthesiologist - if everything goes smoothly and she does not need pain relief either for medical reasons or for personal preferences.

The department where anesthesiologists work is called the department of anesthesiology and resuscitation for a reason. This means that these people can not only anesthetize contractions, but also save both adults and newborns. The presence of a separate children's intensive care unit is a big plus of the maternity hospital, because it means that even very premature or very difficult births can be accepted here. Caring for small, premature and not very healthy babies takes more than one day, and all this time resuscitation specialists are next to them.

The anesthesiologist never works alone, he is assisted by a nurse anesthetist who fulfills his prescriptions during labor anesthesia or during surgery. Nurses also provide the necessary care for women who are in intensive care after surgery.

During the operation, the doctor is assisted not by the obstetrician of the delivery room, but by the operating nurse. The sterility of the operating room is also her concern. And the operating sisters help the obstetrician-gynecologist to conduct a postpartum examination of the birth canal for injuries and help the doctor during operations to eliminate them.

Pediatrician (neonatologist)

The neonatologist on duty comes to the birth at the most culminating moment: shortly before the baby is born. The condition of the baby will need to be assessed on the Apgar scale in the first minute of life and five minutes after birth: listen to the heart, breathing, check muscle tone, reflexes and skin color. Based on the observations, the baby is graded (for example, 8/9). If necessary, medical procedures are immediately carried out (clearing the upper respiratory tract from mucus, restoring the normal rhythm of breathing and heartbeat, etc.).

Since a woman spends another 2 hours after giving birth in the delivery room - doctors and midwives monitor her condition, fearing delayed complications - the baby is most often taken to the children's department for this time. And they bring her to her mother in a special incubator bed for feeding only after the woman is transferred to the postpartum ward. In modern maternity hospitals there are departments "mother-child", in which the joint stay of puerperas with newborns is practiced. In some places, a healthy baby and a healthy mother are not separated at all from the first minutes.

All the necessary procedures for the care of these children and the prescribed treatment are carried out by the nurses of the children's department. They also help the young mother to solve all the issues related to breastfeeding and caring for the baby.

Resuscitator

Today children's resuscitators work in all maternity hospitals. In large perinatal centers, entire neonatal intensive care units are organized, but even the most remote maternity hospital has one or more specially equipped incubators in which you can support the vital activity of a newborn before he is transferred to a specialized children's hospital. Sometimes a pediatric resuscitator is invited to a complicated natural or operative birth, but his appearance does not mean that the baby will be in intensive care. On the contrary, the resuscitator and neonatologist will make every effort to ensure that the child gets to the physiological department of newborns.

And now, so to speak, "a fly in the ointment" from the book "How to give birth safely in Russia".

Careful observation of the woman in labor should be established in the antenatal ward. The doctor should monitor her general condition, the frequency and duration of contractions, regularly (every 5–20 minutes) listen to the fetal heartbeat, and also regularly (every 2 hours) measure blood pressure. It should be understood that this is how it should be. In reality, you will be faced with the fact that the midwife and doctor will leave you alone for a long time. You must be prepared for this in advance. If necessary, do not hesitate to call for help and inform your husband or loved ones about what is happening.

When you go to the maternity hospital , you are, of course, sure that you will be delivered by a doctor. However, in violation of the current legislation in Russian maternity hospitals, deliveries during uncomplicated pregnancies are often performed by a midwife who does not have a higher education. The doctor, on the other hand, controls the process and is connected only in case of difficult situations, and also delivers during a complicated pregnancy and, of course, in cases of your personal agreement with him. But is the midwife able to assess whether your childbirth is complicated after a doctor’s examination or not?

According to Art. 23 of the Fundamentals of the RF Legislation on the Protection of the Health of Citizens, every woman during pregnancy, during and after childbirth is provided with specialized medical care. In Art. 40 of the same Law says that specialized medical care is provided by specialist doctors in medical institutions that have received a license for medical activities. Thus, medical assistance to a woman during pregnancy, during and after childbirth should be provided by a specialist doctor, and not by a worker with a secondary medical education. This is also confirmed by the disclosure of the concept of "attending physician" in Art. 58 of the said Law: "The attending physician is a doctor who provides medical care to the patient during his observation and treatment in an outpatient or hospital institution."

So what is the difference between a nurse-midwife who does not have special knowledge and skills and a midwife? Only by the fact that she takes birth in a medical facility and there is a doctor somewhere nearby. We must pay tribute to the midwives: all the work, as well as a large share of the responsibility - from taking delivery to the first toilet of the child - lies with them. What then is the role of the physician? In drawing up a plan for conducting childbirth, monitoring the situation and writing a map (according to, again, the midwife, because he himself did not take birth). In connection with what such a situation has developed in obstetric hospitals, it is difficult to say, and this should not be of interest to patients who quite legitimately expect to receive highly qualified medical care during childbirth.

The main function of a midwife should not go beyond the fulfillment of doctor's orders. Moreover, the list of such prescriptions cannot include the duties of a specialist doctor, such as diagnosing diseases and (or) taking delivery as a type of medical intervention.

The main complaints about the management of childbirth - failure to provide or delayed provision of medical care - are directly related to the described problem. Since even if there is a midwife next to the woman in labor, this may not be enough: after all, in the absence of special knowledge, she cannot correctly diagnose or qualify a complication, while doctors in most cases are not available. Remember, in accordance with the law, you have the right to demand the provision of qualified medical assistance!

Happy delivery!

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Useful reviews of the month

Maternity hospital of the City Clinical Hospital No. 20 named after A.K. Eramishantsev (Moscow)

Valeria → I arrived at full opening with decent contractions in which it is naturally very difficult to speak and, in principle, think something, the reception department of a woman has the feeling that these are not people but prison guards, you feel like a leper, they talk terribly in a hurry and pretend that they don’t notice.. .

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Maternity hospital in Kommunarka (Moscow)

☆☆☆☆★ rating: 1

Lyudmila → 09/21/2022 exactly at 40 weeks at 9 am, my water began to leak, it was too early to go to the maternity home, but closer to 12-00 there were already more abundant leaks, and because. this is 3 births, everything could be fast, so it was decided with my husband to go to the maternity house, after 20 minutes I was already at the reception . ..

[full review]

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why you need a birth assistant and what she does

Let's be honest: giving birth is scary. Incredibly scary the first time, and even scarier the second time if the first experience was traumatic. But we all understand that neither the contract with the maternity hospital, nor the choice of a doctor still guarantee that everything will go smoothly. And we know that so-called "spiritual midwives" are mostly scams, and home births are a huge risk. What to do if the situation seems hopeless, but you still have to give birth, since you got pregnant? We answer: you can invite a doula to give birth. Now we will tell you who she is, what she does and how she can help you.

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Expert advice

No matter how wildly free and versatile we may be, once, or even twice, or, scary to say, many times, most women decide to have a baby. Whatever you feel like, a feminist, a traditionalist, a ballerina, a biker, “fuck off with your labels,” there comes a moment when you, as expected or not very much, enter the moderately slender ranks of pregnant women and decide not to go anywhere from this submarine.

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

It would seem that everything is cool, you buy a dowry, you are waiting for childbirth like a holiday - and suddenly a wave of little optimistic information about maternity hospitals and "the process itself" falls on you from all sides. From mothers, grandmothers, aunts, girlfriends, you hear completely uninspiring stories: “I toiled for 20 hours all alone, and no one even brought water”, “I didn’t understand what was happening to me, it seemed to me that I was dying”, “Thank you to the nurse who stroked her head and said a kind word. ..” Strange, incomprehensible. And somehow it looks a bit like a holiday.

Why do you need extra help in childbirth

Never in the history of mankind has a woman been left alone in childbirth. In different cultures, she was accompanied by her mother, her husband, or a specially trained midwife. These are the hours when we are most vulnerable, very fragile, often unrequited. New sensations, unusual muscle spasms, excitement, sometimes panic - and at the same time, in a maternity hospital, one midwife can have 5-6 births at a time, and no one, of course, will sit with you alone, comforting, doing an anesthetic massage, explaining what is happening pouring tea and calling the doctor when necessary.

Most of the women of the past generations who gave birth have a lot of amazing stories like: “I'm an assistant professor! And the midwife threw me "what are you yelling, fool." Or: "I panicked and couldn't breathe, and they all left to do a cesarean in the next block. " Fear, excitement, the absence of a calming partner nearby often worsen the outcome of childbirth for both the woman in labor and the child: labor activity is discoordinated, breathing is confused, the woman and the baby receive traumatic childbirth and difficult memories.

No matter how the supporters of the approach “Yes, before ten people gave birth in the furrow and then plowed”, none of them would want to be in the place of the one in the furrow. The fact remains that recent studies have confirmed that continuous support throughout childbirth significantly improves their course and outcome, reduces the need for medications that have side effects for mother and newborn.

Who will help - husband, mother or doula?

Now in Russia, fortunately, Federal Law No. 323-FZ is in force, according to which family members of a woman in labor (these include mother, husband, sister) must be allowed to give birth. But in this way, those women who have neither a husband nor a mother are discriminated against. And, to be honest, not every husband is ready to help in this non-standard situation, not every daughter has such a trusting relationship with her mother to call her to the birth. In addition, the experience of childbirth for many of our mothers is very, very traumatic.

In most countries, the profession of a doula, an assistant in childbirth, has long existed, and in Russia it is just emerging. As a rule, this is an adult woman who has her own experience in childbirth, who has undergone special training and is able to support from the moment of pregnancy, during childbirth and in the first days of life with a baby. Such a person can go with the expectant mother to childbirth, help her feel comfortable, extinguish panic, suggest methods of self-anaesthesia and proper breathing during childbirth. Just to be around. Just create a feeling in a woman and everyone around her: she is not alone. This supports the woman in labor, it relieves the staff of the maternity hospital a little (it's no joke, running between nervous and constantly calling you women, here the best midwife will "burn out" in a couple of years), this creates an overall favorable and warm atmosphere of childbirth.

Of course, the Association of Professional Doulas in Russia has a code categorically forbidding them to get into a foreign diocese and take on the role of doctors. These are not "spiritual midwives" and other incomprehensible people who take births at home and have neither clear boundaries for their activities nor responsibility for it.