What about informed consent?
A wide body of law protects the rights of patients, including pregnant and birthing women. We have the right to exercise self-determination and autonomy in making all medical decisions, including the decision to refuse treatment, and the right to be provided with the necessary information on which to base medical decisions. We have the right to choose VBAC.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists1:
"it has become clear that patients are entitled to participate with their physicians in a process of shared decision making with regard to medical procedures, tests, or treatments; once the patient has been informed of the material risks, and benefits involved; that patient has the right to exercise full autonomy in deciding whether to undergo the treatment, test, or procedure or whether to make a choice among a variety of treatments, tests, or procedures. In the exercise of that autonomy, the informed patient also has the right to refuse to undergo any of these treatments, tests, or procedures. This election by the patient to forgo a treatment, test, or procedure that has been offered or recommended by the physician constitutes informed refusal."
Why Transparency in Maternity Care Matters: A Fact Sheet for Birth Advocates (Lamaze)
- 1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Informed refusal. ACOG Committee Opinion 237. Washington, DC: ACOG, 2000.