You just found out that you're expecting. It's only natural to feel overwhelmed. The multitude of decisions that both you and your spouse or partner need to make during your pregnancy can be staggering. Choosing the right type of health care provider that will suit your needs, gain your trust and that you're comfortable with will take plenty of research and consideration. It is vital that an expectant mom find a caregiver that will make her feel comfortable and will listen to her concerns during pregnancy.

"The importance of getting involved in your own pregnancy cannot be stressed enough," says Dr. Marguerite Lisa Bartholomew, maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

The OB/GYN plays an important role during a woman's lifetime. They are the ones that women will usually turn to for consultation and care for some of our most intimate, physical and emotionally reproductive life-changing events such as conception, birth and menopause.

An obstetrician specializes in the care and treatment of women during the entire time of their pregnancy, birth and recovery, with their guidelines set by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The March of Dimes estimates that about eight in 10 women will choose an obstetrician to manage their care during pregnancy. Most OB/GYNs found in the United States work in private practices, either by themselves or within a group.

The history of the nurse-midwife in the United States dates back to 1925. According to MedlinePlus (a service provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health), during that year, Mary Breckenridge, a nurse in Kentucky, founded the Frontier Nursing Service. It used public health nurses, who received additional nurse-midwifery education in England, to staff nursing centers throughout the Appalachian mountain region. These centers not only tended to the routine health care needs of families, but they also provided women with childbearing and delivery care.

Fast forward to 2006, where an estimated 70 percent of nurse-midwifes graduate at a master's degree level from college with their programs accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). Nurse-midwifes work in a collaborative role, providing a wide variety of health care services to expectant women and their newborns. Licensing requirements for nurse-midwives vary on a state-by-state basis, so it is best to contact an organization like the ACNM to find out about the specific requirements in your area. Certified nurse-midwives practice in a wide variety of settings, including private practice and birth centers.

Birth centers can provide Mom-to-be with a return to a traditional, non-invasive way of giving birth and at the same time offer an alternative that may best suit her needs and desires. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that 29 percent of live births in 2000 took place in a freestanding birthing center. While most of the birth centers in the United States are independently run facilities, some centers can be found in specific hospitals.

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