I am routinely asked this question: "What kinds of questions should I ask my doctor/midwife?" There is a great list put out by CIMS (Coalition for Improving Maternity Services) titled: "Having a Baby? Ten Questions to Ask." I would strongly recommend you look those over if you are expecting a baby.
I would like to add a question though: "What made you decide to become an OB/Midwife?"
Recently, I was reading a local magazine article about an OB-GYN and she was asked this question. Her answer, in my eyes, raised a huge red flag. She said she was doing her medical rotation and it was during a c-section that she decided that this was the profession she wanted to be in. It wasn't witnessing a natural, unmedicated birth and the awe of a woman's body that she felt inspired by -- it was a surgical procedure where she "rescued" the baby from the woman's body. This is what she enjoyed -- surgery!
Ultimately, this question will let you know if they feel the need or desire to intervene in the natural process with lots of testing and procedures. You'll know if they view pregnancy, labor, and birth as a normal healthy process, or if the medical profession improves upon the natural process. (Sometimes this is true, but in less than 20% of pregnancies.) It's all about their viewpoint.
It's a harmless question full of enlightening information.
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