Do women deserve whatever kind of birth they want?

by LUCY KIPPIST

I have a big problem with the phrase ‘dream birth’, it’s disingenuous.

Too many people I know have been lured by the false security of having something written down on paper only to feel terrible when things don’t go to plan.

Not only does it set up a damaging set of expectations about what a woman ‘should’ be doing and feeling about giving birth, it can distort her memory of the birth experience and her self-esteem later on.  And that is not OK.

Stress is the least favourable ingredient in a pregnancy, which is one of the reasons why going out of your way to ‘plan’ something that’s essentially unknown is damaging. Even before baby is born.

Case in point: Jennifer Goodall, a 41 week pregnant Florida mother of three, who is currently engaged in a high voltage tit for tat with her doctors. Their point of contention: VBAC. Otherwise known as, vaginal birth after C-section.

Given Ms Goodall’s last three pregnancies resulted in C-section, her doctors have strongly advised against vaginal birth – even threatening to report Ms Goodall to child welfare if she attempts it.   Their reasons are myriad but chief among them appears to be VBAC risk of uterine rupture.

So just how high is this risk? Here’s what Dr Brad Robinson of Brisbane’s Greenslopes Obstetrics and Gynaecology told us.

–       The risk of uterine rupture – where the uterus tears open at the point of the previous incision – with one previous

caesarean section is estimated to be around 0.5 percent. With two or more it is estimated to increase to around 0.9 percent.

–       The risk of the mother needing an emergency hysterectomy after attempting a VBAC after two or more previous caesareans triples compared to in cases of only one previous caesarean, and the risk of needing a blood transfusion doubles.

–       There is also a risk of 8 in 10,000 of the baby suffering a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation after a VBAC compared to virtually zero in cases of repeat caesarean.

–       There is no data supporting vaginal delivery in cases of more than two caesareans. On the contrary, the risks to both mother and baby are simply too high.

For more information on risks involved in multiple C-sections, see this 2006 study.

Ms Goodall is very upset. She claims to have spent years researching VBAC and is committed to her decision for the wellbeing of her and her unborn baby.  To further complicate matters, she requested a temporary restraining order against the hospital.

According to the Huffington Post this request was rejected by a district court judge on the grounds that she has NO ‘right to compel a physician or medical facility to perform a medical procedure in the manner she wishes against their best medical judgment.”

What. A. Mess.

It’s not what you’d call good PR for the hospital. It’s a terrible outcome for Ms Goodall, who reportedly told a local blogger she was now “terrified” of going to hospital. And what about her unborn baby?

Birth can be chaotic. Birth can be scary. Birth can also be completely and utterly transformative, but very few people really get to control their experience and that can feel scary.  That’s why safety must always come first.  Safety of the baby and safety of the mother. End of story.

What do you think? Should women have the right to whatever birth they want? Or does the baby’s health come first?