Informed Consent in Childbirth

During pregnancy and birth, it has somehow become OK for others to tell those giving birth, what they can and cannot do with their bodies, even when being subjected to unsafe care and in violation of their human and legal rights. So what can you do about it? Cristen Pascucci tells us more. Check it out!

What we talked about:

• What is informed consent in childbirth?
• What about the baby?
• How can you put that into practice during your birth?
• Choose early, choose wisely, change if needed
• What if you are not being heard?
• The vital role of the birth partner
• Getting a neutral third party to bear witness
• Reassuring your nurse
• The truth about hospital policy
• Birth plan as a communication tool
• Language red-flags: because “you are not allowed to not allow me”
• Are we in a better place than 4 years ago?
• ACOG’s more recent policies recognizing the laboring mom as key part of the decision making
• The recent Malatesta trial in Alabama, it’s outcome, and thoughts on Obstetrical Violence

Fabulous resources mentioned in the show*:

• Birth Monopoly Tools: including “The Empowered Consumer: Communication in the Hospital”, and “The Empowered Consumer: Hospital Policy” PDFs. (Free with email subscription – scroll to the bottom of the page)
• Mastering Respectful Confrontation: A Guide to Personal Freedom and Empowered, Collaborative Engagement, by Joe Weston
• ImprovingBirth.org
• MarchForMoms.org  – for more info on the rally and lobbying day in DC on Mother’s Day weekend
• HumanRightsInChildbirth.org
• VBACfacts.com
• EvidenceBasedBirth.com
• The Malatesta Trial: Mom Sues for Bait & Switch in Maternity Care
• Obstetrician Ethics: Awesome Guidelines from the National OBs’ Group
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)’s most recent Committee Opinion on “Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth”; in conjunction with The American College of Nurse–Midwives and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

Related Birthful episodes:

• Healing Your Birth Story and Birth Trauma, with Pam England
• VBAC Facts, with Jen Kamel
• Place of Birth as Your #1 Cesarean Risk, with Dr. Neel Shah
• Choosing Your Care Provider, with Robin Elise Weiss
• Asking more of your OB, with Dr. Stu Fischbein
• All About Midwives, with Melissa Cheyney
• Showing up at Your Birth, with Shalome Stone

About Cristen Pascucci

After the birth of her son in 2011, Cristen left a career in public affairs to study American maternity care and women’s rights within it. In 2012, she joined ImprovingBirth as vice president, spearheading a multi-year grassroots media strategy to get the maternity care crisis in national news, creating a legal advocacy hotline for pregnant women, and raising awareness around obstetric violence through consumer campaigns, including 2014’s #BreaktheSilence. Cristen has helped organize, strategize, and publicize major lawsuits related to obstetric violence in hospitals. She is co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project and host of Birth Allowed Radio. As founder of Birth Monopoly, Cristen advocates for a freer maternity care market, working closely with leading national advocates, organizations, and birth lawyers, as well as educating the public and healthcare providers about women’s human and legal rights in childbirth. After six years of full-time work on the issue of obstetric violence, Cristen is now working on a documentary film on the subject: Mother May I?

Find out more at BirthMonopoly.com or join the conversation on Facebook.com/birthmonopoly

Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).

Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).