E5 Autonomy, Authority, Coercion & Consent: Who Decides in Maternity Care?

The VBAC Facts® Podcast

People are shocked when they learn that the American College of OB/GYN (ACOG) says that women and pregnant people have the final say in medical decision making. Jen Kamel, founder of VBAC Facts®, discusses the principles of informed decision making in the context of vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) versus repeat cesarean. Emphasizing the ethical obligations in healthcare, Jen explores ACOG's Committee Opinion on respecting a pregnant woman's autonomy and decision-making rights. Real-life testimonials from petite readers who had successful VBACs highlight the possibilities and challenge common misconceptions. The episode also addresses ethical dilemmas, coercion, and the importance of respectful and supportive communication between healthcare providers and birthing people, especially when recommended treatments are refused.

Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

VBAC Facts® resources

• Petite readers share their VBAC story on Facebook and Instagram
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2016). Refusal of medically recommended treatment during pregnancy. Committee Opinion No. 664. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 127, e175-82.
• Article: Vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C): An overview of the evidence
• Article: Vaginal birth after three or more cesareans (VBA3C/VBAMC): An overview of the evidence
• VBAC Facts® professional membership: where we house a library of continuing education trainings including The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals, The Limited Evidence on VBA3+C: Decision Making in the Midst of Uncertainty, and The Truth About VBA2C: Risk, Rates, & Outcomes.
• Our course for people with prior cesarean(s): "The Truth About VBAC™for Families"
• Schedule an in-person training in your community
• Schedule a consulting call with Jen

Studies mentioned

• "One study found that over half of the people who had a cesarean for FTP, failure to progress, were not six centimeters, which is one of the criteria they need to meet in order to receive that diagnosis." Zhang, J., Troendle, J., Reddy, U.,et al. (2010). Contemporary cesarean delivery practice in the United States. The American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 203(4), 326.e1-326.e10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20708166

Music produced by (Analogue)/(prod. Analogue).

Instagram: @prod.analogue

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