Hello followers of Positive First Birth. Soon, I'll be creating links to other web sites and adding photos. Throughout this journey so far, I've encountered many, many women who have had positive first birth experiences. There have been many factors involved, but one of the most important components of positive birth is that the mother feel she was listened to and was well informed. If the mother felt in control of her care and her birth, regardless of how the child was delivered, she reports positive memories. I encourage you all to take control over your birth decisions--go in knowing what you hope to achieve. The first step to taking control and being an active participant is to choose your care provider. Many are available to you--ob/gyns, family practice doctors and midwives. OB/GYNs are specialists in childbirth and gynecology. These doctors are trained in medical school and have a 4-year residency. They not only aid the delivery of babies vaginally, but they also perform c-sections. Family practice doctors are trained for more general care and have not specialized in the OB//GYN field but can handle uncomplicated pregnancy and birth. Certified Nurse Midwives are becoming more popular. They are RNs who have a master's degree in midwifery. They have specialized in childbirth and may offer more natural birth options than medical doctors. Be sure you understand the difference between CNM and lay midwives as a lay midwife does not necessarily have formal training or degrees.