Finding Care in New York

Finding an OB/GYN in Brooklyn: Midwives, Public Hospitals and Care Close to Home

By the Find Her Doctor editorial team · Updated November 1, 2026 · 5 min read

Brooklyn has a big, spread-out network of women's health providers, and it's especially strong on midwifery. Our directory lists 388 OB/GYNs and 190 midwives and certified nurse midwives with a Brooklyn practice location, among 739 providers in the borough. The smartest way to search is by two things at once: your neighborhood and the hospital where you'd want to give birth.

The two questions to ask before anything else

Before you fall in love with a practice, ask:

1. "Which hospital do you deliver at?" Your obstetrician or midwife usually delivers only where they have privileges. A practice around the corner might deliver across the borough.
2. "Do you take my exact plan?" Not just "Do you take Healthfirst?" but the plan name on your card. Then ask whether the delivery hospital is in network too.

Everything else (bedside manner, wait times, language) matters, but these two decide whether a practice works at all.

What's in our Brooklyn listings

Counts overlap a little because some providers have two specialties. See everyone on the Brooklyn page.

Why so many people here choose midwives

No other county we cover has more midwives in our directory than Brooklyn, Manhattan included. If your pregnancy is healthy and you want longer conversations, shared decisions, and fewer interventions when they aren't needed, a certified nurse midwife (CNM) is worth a look.

What people are often surprised to learn:

• Most CNMs in the city attend births in hospitals, with an epidural available if you want one. Some also work in birth centers.
• Midwives work alongside OB/GYNs. If a complication comes up, your care can be shared or handed to a physician.
• Midwives do gynecology too: annual exams, birth control and menopause visits.

Browse Brooklyn certified nurse midwives, or read our comparison of an OB/GYN vs. midwife vs. family doctor.

Public and teaching hospitals

The borough has three hospitals run by NYC Health + Hospitals, the city's public system:

• Kings County (East Flatbush)
• Woodhull (Bushwick)
• South Brooklyn Health (Coney Island, formerly Coney Island Hospital)

SUNY Downstate, a state university hospital, is also in East Flatbush. The public system cares for patients regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. Brooklyn also has several private and nonprofit hospitals with labor and delivery units.

If your pregnancy is high-risk

Our directory lists 32 maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists with a Brooklyn location. You might be referred to one for high blood pressure, diabetes, a history of preterm birth, twins, or something on an ultrasound that needs a closer look. Many people keep seeing their regular OB/GYN or midwife and add MFM visits for scans and planning. Browse Brooklyn maternal-fetal medicine.

Some Brooklyn patients go into Manhattan for certain specialists, especially fertility care and some rare subspecialties. That can work well if the commute is manageable.

Language access

Brooklyn's neighborhoods each have their own languages. Sunset Park, Brighton Beach, Borough Park, Williamsburg and Flatbush have large communities speaking Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Yiddish and Haitian Creole, and many practices there serve patients in those languages.

• Ask the front desk which languages the provider speaks, not just the staff.
• New York hospitals must offer free interpreters. You can ask for one at appointments, ultrasounds and in labor.
• Write your questions down in your own language before the visit so nothing slips.

Getting around (the part people underestimate)

Brooklyn is huge. Bay Ridge to Greenpoint can take as long as getting into Manhattan, and there's no single subway line that connects them. When you compare practices:

• Check which subway and bus lines stop near the office, and whether you'd need to transfer.
• Picture the ride to your delivery hospital at night or on a weekend, when service changes are common. Many people plan on a car service for labor.
• In the third trimester, stairs at your station matter. Check whether it has an elevator.
• Ask whether follow-ups and test results can happen by telehealth. Our directory lists 74 Brooklyn providers who offer it.

Gynecology in Brooklyn

You don't need to be pregnant to see an OB/GYN or midwife.

• Routine care. Annual exams, Pap and HPV tests, birth control and STI testing are offered by OB/GYNs, midwives and the 129 women's health and OB/GYN nurse practitioners in our Brooklyn listings.
• Pelvic floor care. We list 12 urogynecologists in Brooklyn for bladder leakage and prolapse.
• Gynecologic cancer care. There are 31 gynecologic oncologists with a Brooklyn location.
• Fertility care. We list 11 fertility specialists in Brooklyn, and many residents also use practices in Manhattan.

Insurance and cost

Many Brooklyn practices accept Medicaid managed care, Essential Plan coverage and commercial insurance, but every office has its own list. If you're uninsured, ask a hospital clinic about financial counseling. New York's pregnancy Medicaid has a higher income limit than regular adult Medicaid and doesn't require a particular immigration status. You can also browse Brooklyn providers who take Medicaid.

Your first-visit checklist

• Your history, written down: past pregnancies, surgeries, chronic conditions, medicines, and the first day of your last period
• Old records: ask your previous provider to send recent Pap results and any ultrasound reports ahead of time
• Insurance card and ID, plus a quick call to ask about a first-visit copay
• Your questions: delivery hospital, after-hours coverage, and how to reach someone at night
• Your route, checked for weekend or overnight service changes

How to search our directory

1. Open search and set the area to Brooklyn.
2. Pick a specialty: OB/GYN, certified nurse midwife, or maternal-fetal medicine.
3. Type your neighborhood or ZIP code.
4. Filter by provider gender or telehealth if those matter to you.

When to call your provider

Don't wait for a new-patient appointment if something's urgent. Call your provider, go to an emergency room, or call 911 for:

• Heavy vaginal bleeding or severe belly or pelvic pain
• In pregnancy: bleeding, leaking fluid, a severe headache, vision changes, swelling of the face or hands, fewer baby movements, or regular contractions before 37 weeks
• Fever with pelvic pain or unusual discharge
• After birth: heavy bleeding, chest pain, trouble breathing, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

If you're pregnant and still looking, start prenatal care as early as you can. A public hospital clinic or community health center can often see you while you keep searching.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NPPES NPI Registry (CMS) — provider taxonomy and practice locations
• NYC Health + Hospitals — Hospitals directory
• American College of Nurse-Midwives — Essential Facts about Midwives
• NY State Department of Health — Patients' Bill of Rights

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed clinician who knows your history. If you think you have a medical emergency, call 911.