Some family doctors have specialized in order to follow people through pregnancy and birth.

They wouldn’t need to be your current family doctor for general health care, you can find one now who will follow you only for pregnancy and birth (and it’s not as difficult as finding a regular family doctor!). Family doctors often have more time to spend with you prenatally in comparison to most obstetric practices.

Obstetricians (sometimes called OBs or OB/GYNs) are doctors who follow pregnancies and attend births, in particular they can follow serious complications and are trained surgeons with the skills to perform Cesarean births.

Both kinds of doctors catch babies at the hospital, each doctor is affiliated with a specific hospital and family doctors have access to the obstetrics team during pregnancy and birth should they be needed.

When considering what kind of doctor you want to follow your pregnancy, here are a few things to think about:

Is your pregnancy considered “lower risk”?

Family doctors are trained to follow lower risk pregnancies and deliveries. Family doctors are able to consult with an obstetrics team during pregnancy or birth if needed.

Are you planning on a “natural” or unmedicated childbirth?

Family doctors are used to following normal birth. They are less likely to intervene in a normal pattern of labour. If you do present with a pathology in pregnancy or in labour, they will refer you to an obstetrician. There will always be an obstetrician on the floor when you are labouring in the hospital but they would only be consulted if necessary.

Is your pregnancy considered “high risk”?

Obstetricians excel at following high risk or complicated pregnancies. Obstetricians are trained surgeons so they are the only doctors performing Cesarean births.

​Once you know what type of doctor you want to follow your pregnancy, now it is time to think about where you want to birth your baby!