Women who wish to be admitted to a hospital for childbirth will find themselves in the position where they need to sign a number of forms for pre-admission. These forms allow women to provide consent beforehand in the event they are unable to provide informed consent later on in the birth process if there are complications.
The entire period of pregnancy and the process of birth are quite vulnerable times for women. The birth process is even more so vulnerable as women’s autonomy is exposed. Informed consent being done ahead of time ensures that there are no violations of a woman during the birthing process.
What are My Rights when Giving Birth?
- Wherever you choose to have your baby, you have the right to know the birth experience and qualifications of the primary care provider who will be undertaking the delivery process.
- You have the right to know at what point labor will be induced and what the chances of this happening are.
- You have the right to understand all the possible medical interventions that may be necessary, why these may be used and when they would be if applicable. These include;
- Routine birth intervents – Vaginal exams
- Helpful birth interventions – Inducing labor through membrane sweeping or stripping
- Unnecessary/Annoying interventions – IV’s, continuous electronic fetal monitoring
- Potentially Harmful interventions – induction of labor with the use of Pitocin, episiotomies, and amniotomies
- You have the right to know all your options for pain management and when these may be requested, received, and administered as well as any cut off points.
- You have the right for your birth experience to be as private as possible.
- You have the right to know if your movement or actions will be restricted during labor, how if they will, and why.
- You have the right to know if you will be allowed the skin to skin contact and what can make this right void.
- You have the right to know how your baby will be fed and you have to right to decline top feeding to instead breastfeed.
What are The 4 Types of Consent?
- Implied Consent
- Expressed Consent
- Informed Consent
- Unanimous Consent
What's the Difference Between Consent and Informed Consent?
Informed consent means the patient has had all the facts explained to them by the necessary health practitioner. The consent is given after the patient has been presented with all the information related to treatment. Some state statutes, case law, and regulations may differ, however, facts usually are information on;
- Nature of the treatment/s
- Need for treatment
- Benefits of the treatment
- Any significant risk of said treatments
- Alternatives to treatment
- Associated benefits and risks of alternatives
- The identity of the practitioner/s who will be rendering the treatment/s
The Importance of Informed Consent
Informed consent is important as it is a means of protecting the patient. It is a legal document that ensures that your healthcare provider and yourself have an ongoing communication process. It allows the woman to be an informed participant in the decisions about her and her baby’s health care.
What Happens if Informed Consent is Not Obtained?
Before any medical treatment or procedure, informed consent is required. If you do not provide informed consent and your doctor goes forward with treatment which results in injury can mean a medical malpractice lawsuit on the doctor providing treatment.
Issues with Informed Consent
Language Barriers
Informed consent requires the signee to have a full understanding of what is stated on the consent form. Language or accent barriers can make it difficult to establish proper informed consent. This is especially true if a patient has questions that they would like answered after reading the consent form. Misunderstandings can be caused by the inadequate translation of different languages which can lead to patients signing a form while not being entirely aware of what they are actually signing.
Religious Influence
The process of informed consent gives each woman the ability to decide to accept or refuse medical treatments recommended. There are some forms of treatment that are not accepted based on religious beliefs. There may be one potential treatment option that a person may not accept because of their beliefs while accepting all others.
False Expectations
Without language barriers and religious influence, communication can still be hindered and misunderstanding can still occur. Patient fears and stories told by relatives and friends can lead to false expectations which may affect one’s decisions.
The Use of IV During Labor
We mentioned above about interventions. When it comes to the process of childbirth the one most used and questioned interventions is the use of IV therapy. Here’s all you need to know about IV use during labor as it relates to informed consent.
Can I Refuse IV During Labor?
One of the interventions during labor that is most common and most questioned is the use of an IV. It is a normal intervention in the birth process. It is beneficial when needed and has in many instances provided life-saving capabilities. Unnecessary use can, however, have negative impacts, and as such many people are concerned about its use.
When is an IV Necessary for the Birthing Process?
There are a couple of instances where the use of an IV may be necessary for the optimal outcome of the birthing process. These include;
- Mother developing complications that make the administration of fluid and medication necessary
- When a mother has a high risk of complications
- If a mother has to be induced with Pitocin
- If an epidural is necessary
- For women who are having C-section deliveries
When Is an IV Unnecessary During the Birth Process?
The use of an IV is unnecessary during the birth process for patients who are having a normal birth. IV is unnecessary when used to administer routine fluids without any of the reasons listed in the section above. For example for hydration or as a “just in case” measure for normal and uncomplicated labor cases.
Conclusion
Informed consent is important for women going through the birthing process. It protects the patient as well as it protects the health care providers which administer treatment. It ensures that women have all the facts on how they will be cared for as well as alternatives, possible complications, and possible treatments. In essence, informed consent allows a woman to have complete control on what happens to her body during the vulnerable time of childbirth.
Cris
