How Do I Interview a Home Birth Midwife, and What Should I Ask?

My own resistance to home birth started to give way in a midwife consultation. I brought my worries in as questions, and I sat across from someone who had clearly attended more births than I could count and answered everything without blinking.

That first meeting is where a lot of partners make up their minds, so it's worth walking in prepared. Here's how to approach it and what to ask.

Should the partner go to the midwife interview?

Yes. You'll be the one in the room with her in the middle of the night, so you need to trust her too.

Expect the meeting to run both ways. You're deciding whether she's right for your family, and she's deciding whether your pregnancy is a good fit for a home birth.

Gloria, our midwife, told me the dads who come to as many appointments as possible "do a thousand percent better." The interview is the first of those. And don't leave your doubts at home. Kelly, a mom who once brought the idea of home birth to a hesitant partner, said a partner's concerns "might raise a good point that you can talk to your midwife or doula about together."

What credentials should a home birth midwife have?

In the US, the three main national credentials are Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Certified Midwife (CM), and Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). The training behind them differs, so ask which one she holds.

According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), CNMs and CMs are both certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. A CNM is also a registered nurse with a graduate degree, and a CM comes from a non-nursing background with at least a bachelor's degree. ACNM notes that most CNMs and CMs attend births in hospitals, though both can practice in homes and birth centers.

A CPM is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and works outside the hospital. ACNM's comparison says no academic degree is required for the CPM, that CPMs attend births in homes and birth centers rather than hospitals, and that CPMs are licensed in 37 states and Washington, DC, as of its February 2026 update.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) takes a narrower view. ACOG considers hospitals and accredited birth centers the safest settings for birth, while saying each woman has the right to make a medically informed decision. For planned home births, ACOG's committee opinion recommends a CNM, a CM, a midwife whose education and licensure meet the International Confederation of Midwives' global standards, or a physician practicing within an integrated and regulated health system. ACOG's list doesn't name the CPM credential.

Whatever her letters, ask whether she's licensed in your state and how she works with local doctors and hospitals. The rules vary from state to state, so check yours. (Here's more on the kinds of midwives and how they differ from a doula.)

What should we ask about safety?

Ask the questions that keep you up at night. A good midwife expects them.

• What emergency equipment do you bring, and will you show it to us?
• How do you decide whether a pregnancy is a good fit for home birth?
• What would make you recommend we move our care to a doctor before labor?
• How many births have you attended as the lead midwife?
• What emergency and newborn resuscitation training do you keep current?

The screening question matters more than it sounds. ACOG names the appropriate selection of candidates for home birth as one of the factors behind safer outcomes, along with a qualified attendant and access to safe and timely transport to a nearby hospital. How she screens tells you how she thinks about risk. On training, ACNM notes that all three US credentials require current adult CPR and neonatal resuscitation certification.

If you want the bigger picture before you go, I wrote about what the research says about home birth safety, including where the medical groups disagree.

What should we ask about a hospital transfer?

All of it. Every responsible home birth has a plan for getting to a hospital, and you'll be part of carrying it out.

• Which hospital would we go to, and how long does it take to get there?
• What would make you recommend a transfer during labor?
• Would you come with us, and would you stay?
• Have you worked with that hospital before?

Transfers are common, especially with a first baby. In the Birthplace in England study, the transfer rate for planned home births was 45% for first-time mothers and 12% for women who had given birth before. Ask your midwife how often her own clients transfer, and what usually prompts it. Here's what happens if you need to transfer.

What should we ask about the birth itself?

The practical questions, the ones that decide what that night actually looks like.

• Who comes with you to the birth, and when do you usually arrive?
• Who covers for you if you're at another birth when labor starts?
• What do you need us to have ready at the house?
• How do you feel about a birth pool, and about the partner getting in?
• How long do you stay after the birth, and when do you come back to check on mom and baby?
• What's included in your fee, and what isn't?

Her supply list will shape your to-do list, and I wrote about getting the house ready once you have it.

What should the partner ask about his own role?

Ask her how she includes partners. It's a simple question, and the answer tells you a lot. Some midwives will have a clear picture of what they want from you. Others will ask what you want. Either one is a good sign. A shrug isn't.

A few to try: "What do you want me doing during labor?" "What should I leave to you?" "If I wanted to help catch the baby, would you be open to it?" Rowan, a dad I interviewed, didn't know he was allowed to catch his daughter until the midwife asked him in the middle of the birth. You can ask months ahead.

Lauralee, a mom of five, described her midwife appointments this way: "Every appointment felt like I was taking a masterclass in women's anatomy and childbirth." Look for a midwife who teaches you both.

How do we know she's the right midwife?

Pay attention to how she answers. If she gets defensive about transfers or makes you feel foolish for asking, keep looking.

Then talk about it in the car on the way home. Ask your wife how she felt in the room, and tell her how you felt. If either of you can't picture this woman in your house during labor, that matters. If you have more than one midwife to choose from where you live, meeting two or three gives you something to compare.

Gloria's advice to partners fits here too: "Ask questions if you're concerned, don't bear the anxiety in silence."

Chapter 3 of the book, But Is It Safe?, covers the questions that changed my mind, and Chapter 7, Everyone Has a Position, covers who does what in the birth room.

This post is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your midwife or doctor about your own situation.