Typically, the education and training for both fields occurs concurrently. Thus, an obstetrician/gynecologist is a physician specialist who provides medical and surgical care to women and has particular expertise in pregnancy, childbirth, and disorders of the reproductive system. This includes preventative care, prenatal care, detection of sexually transmitted diseases, Pap test screening, and family planning.

Certified nurse-midwives are trained in both nursing and midwifery and are certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). To be certified, a CNM must be formally educated in midwifery through an accredited program affiliated with an institution of higher learning, demonstrate clinical competence, and pass a rigorous national certifying exam. CNMs are licensed to practice in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They provide a full range of primary healthcare services to women in the United States, including routine gynecological checkups, family planning services, preconception care, prenatal and postpartum care, and, of course, delivering babies. They attend births mostly in hospitals, but also in Birth Centers and private homes.

A Certified Midwife (CM) is not a registered nurse but otherwise meets the same qualifications as a certified nurse-midwife. Because this certification has only existed since 1996, there are few CMs. Currently, only some states recognize this certification as sufficient for licensing.

A lay or direct-entry midwife may or may not have a college degree or a certification. Direct-entry midwives may have trained through apprenticeship, workshops, formal instruction, or a combination of these. Not all states require them to work in conjunction with doctors, and they usually practice in homes or non-hospital birth centers. But not every state regulates direct-entry midwives or allows them to practice.

A certified professional midwife (CPM) is certified by the North American Registry of Midwives after passing written exams and hands-on skill evaluations. Direct-entry midwives and certified nurse-midwives can apply for this certification. They're required to have out-of-hospital birth experience, and usually practice in homes and birth centers. Their legal status varies according to state

A birthing center is a healthcare facility, staffed by nurse-midwives and/or obstetrician for mothers in labor, who may be assisted by doulas and coaches. By attending the laboring mother, the doulas can assist the midwives and make the birth easier. The midwives monitor the labor, and well-being of the mother and foetus during birth. Should additional medical assistance be required the mother can be transferred to a hospital. Some hospitals are now adding birth centers to their facilities as an alternative to the high tech maternity wards commonly found at most hospitals.

A birth center presents a more home-like environment than a hospital, typically with more options during labor: food/drink, music, and the attendance of family and friends if desired. Other characteristics can also include non-institutional furniture such as queen-sized beds, large enough for both mother and father and perhaps birthing tubs or showers for water births. The decor is meant to emphasize the normality of birth. In a birth center, women are free to act more spontaneously during their birth, such as squatting, walking or performing other postures that assist in labor. Active birth is encouraged. The length of stay after a birth is shorter at a birth center; sometimes just 6 hours after birth the mother and infant can go home.

Traditional hospital births are still the most common option. Doctors manage the delivery with their patients. In most cases, women in labor are not allowed to eat or drink (possibly due to anesthesia or for other medical reasons), and they may be required to deliver in a certain position.

Pain medications are available during labor and delivery (if the woman chooses); labor may be induced, if necessary; and the fetus is usually electronically monitored throughout the labor. A Birth Plan can help a woman communicate her preferences during the birth and doctors will abide by these as much possible.

In response to a push for more "natural" birth events, many hospitals now offer more modern options for low-risk births, often known as family-centered care. These may include private rooms with baths (birthing suites) where women can labor, deliver, and recover in one place without having to be moved.The rooms are usually set up to create a nurturing environment, with warm, soothing colors and a home-like atmosphere.

Home birth occurs when a woman labors and delivers a child at home, rather than the labor and delivery ward of a hospital or Birth Centert. Home births are generally attended by a midwife. Some mothers choose to give birth without any medical professional present – this is generally known as an "unassisted home birth" or "freebirth."

In choosing home birth, the mother generally has more control over her surroundings, and can eat and move around, sleep and do anything she pleases - activities which may be discouraged in a hospital setting. Midwives generally view birth as a natural process, and therefore keep their intervention and any other sort of medical intervention to a minimum.

During a homebirth there is no access to pharmaceutical pain relief or pharmaceutical labor induction, nor equipment for emergency delivery (such as forceps, vacuum extraction, or surgery). Births necessitating these interventions would require transfer to a hospital. Depending on the midwifery practice, transfer rates can range anywhere from 5% to 40%, but most studies cite a transfer rate of about 16%.

An obstetrician/gynecologist who specializes in the practice of fertility. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certifies a subspecialty for those who receive extra training in reproductive endocrinology (the study of hormones) and infertility. For some couples, it may be necessary to visit a fertility specialist. These doctors are trained specifically in the area of reproduction and infertility. If you and your partner have decided to seek out a specialist, make sure you find one that has been board-certified. This ensures that the specialist has received all the necessary training and education to make them an expert in their field.

You may also consider a Fertility Acupuncturist. Acupuncture is a therapeutic specialty of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat illness, prevent disease, and improve well-being by stimulating specific trigger points throughout the body using special acupuncture needles. Fertility acupuncture is a specialized acupuncture treatment therapy for a variety of reproductive health conditions. Fertility acupuncture promotes circulation of blood and energy throughout your body, including reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, testicles), which is important for successful conception.

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. A Certified Perinatal Support Specialist is a doula trained extensively in both medical and alternative models.

A pediatrician is a doctor who specializes in the care of children; in Latin, a pediatrician is literally a “healer of children”. Pediatrics is a very broad specialty, encompassing everything from general practice to children's oncology. Just like other medical specialties, pediatrics requires a medical school education followed by several years of residency in pediatrics or “peds” as it is affectionately called. A pediatrician who wishes to subspecialize in a particular field like oncology or orthopedics must complete an additional residency in his or her specialty. A pediatrician can care for a child from birth to around age 18; some kids become very fond of their pediatricians, and in some cases the doctor may agree to keep seeing a child until his or her early twenties. Caring for children is distinctly different than caring for adults, since children have unique medical conditions and issues which adults do not face, and their different body size poses some unique treatment challenges.