Most OBs allow the fear of liability to motivate their decisions, often not providing true informed consent.
Think of a mom with a breech baby. Is she even given vaginal birth as an option. 99% of the time NO. Rather she is told a cesarean is her only choice. This is because that is the “rule” from the hospital, insurance companies, etc. Not because it is necessarily the best choice. This is not informed consent. Informed consent would be here are the risks of a vaginal breech birth, here are the risks of a cesarean birth. Information presented objectively. Then parents are asked, “Which one do YOU want?”
There are a rare few OBs who will really let moms make informed choices. Dr. Fischbein is one of those care providers. He fights for a woman’s right to choose her birth experience. He is now being punished for this. Here is a website with more information.
What a shame! Doctors need to start standing up for their patients. They DID take an oath, did they not? I see their Hippocratic oath being violated in such instances. That is when they should be punished!
My first child was a “frank” breech delivery – butt first. She had been in correct position but apparently decided she didn’t want to come out at the last minute and turned during labor! I delivered vaginally with no idea she was backwards and my doc’s comment was “That was one of the easiest deliveries even though she was breech.”
Worried that my second child would do the same I quizzed all the doctors in my OB group about delivering a breech vaginally and they were all very obliging.
Insurance companies and hospitals need to start letting informed patients decide what is best based on the facts from their physicians. It may even lead to reduced liability!
Right on! — We should absolutely support any OB who is willing to promote and perform VBACs!
Thank you for this post and link!
Great blog too 🙂
-Colleen