Take a Stand for Dignified Birth

When faced with what society perceives to be radical or extreme views of the state of modern childbirth, many people are immediately suspicious of the motivation of those holding such opinions. Women are subject to varying degrees of reaction, ranging from So what? All that matters is that the baby is healthy to You're selfish for caring more about your birth experience than the health of yourself and your baby.

On the surface, these concerns may appear logical. After all, who doesn't want a healthy baby? Isn't erring on the side of using too much technology better than erring on the side of too little? If only it were that simple. Aside from the considerable body of research indicating that most medical interventions commonly used in childbirth cause more harm than good, there is a larger issue here.

While many women who care about birth do hope for a transcendental experience, most are also primarily seeking out one thing aside from safety - dignity in birth. By dignity I'm not speaking of trying to avoid the more unladylike aspects of birth, such as making primal sounds, getting a bit messy, baring our most intimate parts. Those things are - or should be - accepted elements of the most meaningful and important bodily function. The word dignity in this case means respect for a woman's autonomy, acknowledgment that she is an intelligent and capable human being, and that pregnancy and labor do not lessen the significance and validity of her knowledge, desires, and decisions.

Is a woman in labor in a more vulnerable state of mind and body than usual? Quite often, yes. Does that make her mentally challenged, or unable to make her own choices? Absolutely not. Yet, many women in labor are treated by nurses, doctors, and sometimes even family as though they are naughty children who don't know what's good for them (or their baby). I have read an appalling number of stories of women who very clearly voice their refusal of consent for any given protocol or procedure during their births, and are blatantly ignored, as hospital staff proceeds to do as they wish. My dear friend was subjected to her second cesarean section under the conditions of being put under general anesthesia with her husband running behind her bed yelling We do not consent! She was not the first, and sadly, she is not the last, to experience such disrespect for her rights as a medical facility client.

It's true that overall, the general public seems to be taking more control over their health care every year, thanks to advances in information dissemination as well as improving patients' rights and privacy laws. People are becoming more aware all the time that they need to be proactive in order to receive appropriate, quality care. Unfortunately, maternity care seems to be the remaining archaic stronghold where doctors maintain control and if clients are rebellious, they are simply dismissed as ignorant and hysterical, and protocol marches on, dressed in the ugly mask of doctor expertise. We as women often help to feed this self-perceived authority by treating male obstetricians as father figures of sorts. This is damaging to our credibility as capable pregnant and birthing women even though it is often unintentional on our part.

Many women are horrified by their treatment and wish to do something to change things for other women, but with a newborn and often older children to care for, as well as the many demands of family, work, and home, it's all too easy to just let it go and try to get past the lingering bad feelings.

The first thing that women need to know is that any action, procedure, physical contact visited upon them without informed consent especially if mom is verbally refusing consent is, legally speaking, assault and battery. Whether it's actually enforceable is another matter. Society does not view a vaginal exam or administration of an IV as abusive, even if they're done against the will of the mother. This makes bringing a criminal case against a care provider in this situation challenging, perhaps even unprecedented. Until a case is successfully brought, and is recognized as a precedent for the realm of maternity care, there are other things that can be done.

Vote with your wallet - refuse to patronize doctors who want to steam-roll your autonomy, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Hire a doula and inform your husband of potential problems that might arise. Refuse to sign a blanket consent upon pre-admission or admission - instead, request to be informed of each procedure on an as-needed basis. You may also legally alter the form before signing.

Ultimately, care providers will only stop when parents stop accepting the status quo. How you make your stand is up to you!