The safest midwife is the one who knows her own limitations and does not exceed them. Of course, these limits change as she gains more experience, either becoming stricter or more lax as she sees fit. But they are her limits, and no one has the right to try to get her to change or exceed them. If she does not feel qualified, comfortable or experienced enough to handle a situation, then it may well be dangerous for her to do so. It is disappointing to be turned down, transferred out or transported from the place and personnel you planned for your baby's birth, but no midwife wants to endanger the health and safety of mother or baby for any reason.
Protocols cover more than just delivery choices, however.
They also apply to the ways in which your midwife handles your pregnancy. Most midwives rely on good nutrition as their main ally in preventing complications. But they also have other tools available to them, such as herbs, homeopathics, chiropractic, acupuncture or allopathic medications to treat problems that may arise. She may order certain tests from a lab to screen her clients for potential medical problems. These are all procedures that you may wish to discuss with her before you hire her as your caregiver.