Prenatal Care
Choose a prenatal care provider
Starting or growing a family is an exciting time. One of the many steps to preparing for baby is to select a provider who cares for you during pregnancy, labor and delivery.
In Austin and Albert Lea, Minnesota, women can choose from family medicine physicians, advanced care providers and OB-GYNs for their maternity care. Beyond your primary provider, an entire team of experts and specialized staff work together to serve you. Brief videos are available to help you select a health care provider whose approach to labor, delivery and pain management aligns with yours.
Women who receive prenatal care in Albert Lea and Austin typically deliver in Austin.
Family medicine providers
Family medicine physicians are trained to care for people of all ages. They provide preconception counseling and prenatal care. Typically, the family medicine physician who cares for you in clinic will deliver your newborn. They care for the medical needs of infants, children and your entire family.
Nurse midwives
Nurse midwives are advanced-practice providers with specialized training, education and certification in women's gynecological health issues. Nurse midwives provide preconception counseling and prenatal care for low-risk pregnancies. They only provide women's health care. They provide additional services beyond maternity care.
Nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners are advanced care providers who specialize in pregnancy care; disorders of the reproductive system; breast health; and preventive medicine, including sexual function and contraception.
OB-GYNs
Physicians who have completed specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology are commonly referred to as obstetricians, OB-GYNs, or simply OBs. OB-GYNs provide preconception counseling, fertility, prenatal care, and labor and delivery care for low- and high-risk pregnancies. They only provide women's health care.
The OB-GYN team rotates labor and delivery call; the physician who is on call at the time of your delivery will deliver your newborn. OB-GYNs provide additional services beyond maternity care.