On the Coast – Families Issue 93 | April / May 2018 | Page 34

Informed consent in childbirth
and why it is important
by Jenna Logan
T
here is a huge movement
happening globally where
women are speaking up and
empowering each other to stand
for some pretty basic human rights.
It is no different in the birthing world
and sadly women have been complaining
about how they were treated during their
labour and in far too many cases left
wondering why certain procedures were
carried out with a myriad of questions
left unanswered. If they knew their
rights in this situation it may have made
a difference.
We are fortunate to birth in a climate
that has such amazing medical
advancements if we need to use them in
emergencies. However the intervention
rate in Australia is well above the
World Health Organisations
recommendations. Intervention is any
medical procedure during your
pregnancy journey. It is important to
talk about intervention and consent
because it can impact the overall health
and wellbeing for you and your baby.
Yes, you may have reduced one risk by
having an intervention but studies are
now showing the negative side effects that
women are experiencing due to a lack of
empathy and respect being given to her
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during her labour. So what can you do
about that? Get educated, get your partner
educated and know what your boundaries
are when faced with these decisions. It is
important that you were given a choice
and at times it can be an easy choice to
reduce risk but it was still your choice and
not an order from medical staff.
My hope in writing this article is that
you gain a newfound knowledge and
confidence to speak up knowing that this
is your body, your baby and your
experience. Making a choice under
duress, with coercion or feeling as though
you weren’t given one is not how you
should feel after birthing your baby. You
should feel supported, heard, included,
respected, nurtured and empowered to be
the superwomen you are.
‘A Woman will always
remember how she was made
to feel during her labour’
What Is Informed Consent? Informed
consent is a process whereby your
doctor/midwife (caregiver) is legally
obliged to discuss the benefits and risks
of any procedures or treatments with
you. You as the birthing mother have
rights over the important decisions
regarding what will and won’t be done to
your body and your baby. ‘
The Australian Medical Association
– Maternal Decision Making Statement
2013 “most pregnant women strive to
achieve the best possible health outcomes
for both themselves and their unborn
babies. Because of the inter-dependence
of the maternal-fetal relationship, both
the mother and the fetus have an
interest in any health care decision. In
this situation, ‘interest’ refers to ‘optimal
health and well-being”.
Your birth experience
will directly impact your
postpartum period.
It is every woman’s right to have
autonomy over her body and her baby at
all times. The decisions you make about
your birth options can have long lasting
effects on the health and wellbeing of
yourself, your baby and your family.
Women who feel satisfied and in control
of their birth experience are less likely to
experience traumatic stress after birth.