Male or Female OB/GYN?

What to Consider When Making This Decision

By Teri Brown

People look for different things when looking for an OB/GYN to deliver their baby. They may want someone referred to them by a friend or perhaps someone close to their home. They may be looking for someone with a good reputation or maybe someone with whom they simply feel comfortable. But some women are looking for an OB/GYN that is gender specific, a doctor that is either a man or a woman.

Courtney Ramirez from Sanger, Calif., first asks her friends for referrals. "The main thing I look for in an OB/GYN is recommendations from people I know," Ramirez says. "Currently I am searching for a new practitioner because my old one moved away. I am searching for a doctor that would be willing to be my backup for my second homebirth."

Ramirez favors female doctors over male ones. "I prefer female OB/GYNs," Ramirez says. "I feel that, being women, they can better relate to female problems. I also feel more comfortable during the pelvic exams with a woman."

Eliza Ferree from Jacksonville, N.C., agrees. "I think women understand our fears and body more than a male does," Ferree says. "The male OB/GYNs I've had were a bit cold, more professional. The women always ask questions and make sure everything is answered before leaving the office."

"Some women feel only other women can understand [and] appreciate what they are going through," Sember says. "Think about how you feel about your other doctors. If you feel like you connect better with female doctors, you may want to go that way for your pregnancy. If you feel more comfortable with men, then go that way. For a lot of women, though, it ends up being a decision about individual doctors and their personalities – part of which is their sex."

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