In the first official episode of Birth Kweens, we're talking about picking your birth team. This episode kicks off our five-part series that's all about preparing for your birth. In this episode we talked about:

• Why picking the right birth team is so important.
• The four main reasons you should NOT just pick any random doctor/midwife to be your care provider.
• Where to start and exactly what to consider when looking for a care provider who will be a good fit for you and your family.
• The differences between a hospital birth team and a home birth team
• How to pick a home birth midwife and why their hospital transfer rate isn't the most important thing to focus on.
• Where to go to get reliable reviews on your birth team
• Special considerations and resources for VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
• Who (and who not) to invite to your birth

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Health Consumer Alliance
• Hospital Ratings on Consumer Reports - search by zip code and check out each hospital's stats on avoiding c-sections!
• Cesarean Rates by State
• Your Biggest C-Section Risk May Be Your Hospital - great article from Consumer Reports!
• Questions to Ask Potential Care Providers - helpful tool from the authors of the amazing book Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn (buy the book here!)
• Midwife Interview Questions
• ICAN - International Cesarean Awareness Network
• VBAC Facts
• How to start the process of finding a VBAC-friendly provider
• 10 Steps to Finding a VBAC-supportive provider

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions, and feedback.