Informed Consent/Refusal Archives

Birth plans. Epidurals. Natural Childbirth. Doulas. Induction. Cesareans. And more… The list of decisions about birth goes on and on… More women are becoming dissatisfied with the status quo in American maternity care, and are asking for something outside the norm for the hospital where they plan give birth. Naturally, this might make for some…

If your care provider is seeing a slight increase in your BP, a bit of protein in your urine, and asks you questions about headaches, swelling in your hands and face, pain under your ribs on the right, and if you’ve been seeing spots, they may tell you that you are turning preeclamptic. The Preeclampsia…

Pregnancy is weird. There is no denying that. It often comes with all kinds of odd symptoms as the hormones of pregnancy do not limit their effect to the uterus and growing baby. Everything from morning sickness to hemorrhoids to indigestion can be a normal part of pregnancy. These things are not often a cause…

As a doula, I require all of my clients to put together a birth plan, discuss it with their care provider, and to provide me a hard copy. I make very few exceptions to this requirement. I believe firmly that a birth plan is a critical piece of the puzzle in good perinatal care. As…

First of all: You have to know something about this book. It is not pro-vaccine. It is not anti-vaccine. It is pro-informed-consent for parents. It’s about information, not influence. Okay. Keep reading. I thought this book was the most informative look at vaccines I have ever seen. So much “information” is so heavily biased, and…

Some say I am brave for choosing homebirth. To me, that’s like saying I’m brave for having a big wedding. No matter how involved the planning, we all know the real work of marriage starts when the wedding is over. So it is with birth. Our childhood, our growing up, and our pregnancy is the…

If you are facing an induction because you are approaching the 40-week mark, and your care provider does not want you to go past your EDD, you have more than one option available to you. This is not an all-or-nothing proposition. The burden of proof for induction, no matter the reason, lies with your care…

First, read the following link, then come on back. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Pitocin’s Untold Impact ~ Birth Faith Pitocin – like any other drug – is a tool, morally neutral, with its own proper and improper uses. This post examines some emerging evidence of the role oxytocin plays in our lives. How synthetic oxytocin…

Informed Consent/Refusal

7 Symptoms Every Pregnant Woman Should Know

Book Review: “The Vaccine Book” by Dr. Robert W. Sears

There’s more to Pitocin…