Who's On My Team?

Is consultant or midwife led care best for you?

- Radhika Holmstrom

When choosing your maternity care, one of the key things you want to know is which health care professionals will be working on your maternity team. After all, these are the people who are going to be taking care of you when your body is going through 40 weeks of change – and will bring your baby into the world.

Each hospital does things in a slightly different way but there are three broad models available. We look at these in a bit more detail and talk to some of the professionals involved in delivering them.

CONSULTANT-LED CARE

If you book a consultant-led birth, the main person in charge of your pregnancy will be a senior doctor trained specifically in pregnancy and birth, including delivering babies. Many have their own specialties: for instance, premature birth, multiple birth or heart conditions.

It may be recommended that you have a consultant-led birth if there are complicating factors in your pregnancy such as a previous difficult pregnancy or birth, previous Caesarean sections, or a health condition. If you know that you want an elective Caesarean, a consultant is the right choice because they have the skills to perform one. Or you may just prefer to have a doctor overseeing you.

Under this model, the consultant is the main person you see for all your antenatal appointments. They may conduct your tests and scans themselves; or, depending on the hospital, might refer you to other specialists for these. If your pregnancy develops complications (for instance, if you develop gestational diabetes or something problematic is detected at a scan) or you develop a condition like pelvic girdle pain, your care should remain with the same consultant too, although they may send you to see specialists such as an endocrinologist or a physiotherapist.