Your prenatal care team

Now that you’re pregnant, you’ll work closely with a prenatal care team who will help you make decisions, track milestones, and stay healthy through your pregnancy. Kaiser Permanente’s collaborative approach to care helps us establish best practices that lead to better outcomes. With seamless communication across departments and specialties, everyone who cares for you during your pregnancy is connected, working as a team to keep you and your baby healthy. We’re here to empower and support you, and help you have the pregnancy, birth, and new baby experience you want.

These are some of the people who could be part of your prenatal care team:

Obstetricians are medical doctors who specialize in the care of pregnant patients. Most obstetricians are also gynecologists who provide care for women when they aren’t pregnant, so you might be able to continue seeing your regular gynecologist for prenatal care.

Certified nurse-midwives are advanced-practice registered nurses who have specialized education and training and can care for you before, during, and after your pregnancy. They also deliver babies and provide family planning, birth control counseling, and well-woman care.

Perinatologists are also called maternal-fetal medicine specialists. They’re highly skilled in caring for patients with high-risk pregnancies.

Nurse practitioners are specially trained to provide well-woman care and health care services to patients before, during, and after their pregnancy.

Choosing a doctor or nurse-midwife

Choosing a doctor or nurse-midwife is related to where you live, and where you want to give birth. You’ll have to check to see if we offer nurse-midwifery in your area. 

In many Kaiser Permanente facilities, physicians and nurse-midwives work together to give you as much personalized care and attention as possible. 

Doctors and nurse-midwives have complementary training and skills to care for pregnant patients with all types of needs and plans. Their approaches to prenatal care and childbirth focus on keeping you and your baby healthy while addressing any complications that might arise. When you’re choosing your prenatal care team, find out if their philosophy and approach match your preferences and values. Whether you have a doctor, a nurse-midwife, or both, they share the same goal — keeping you and your baby healthy.