Informed consent is critical for all women to be able to chose the safest place for them to birth.  The decision for where to birth and who to have as attendants must remain with the woman.  She is the one who will benefit or suffer the consequences of a mismatch...which is why quality/evidence based info is critical.  Thank you for looking at this issue.

Unfortunately for me I was not given true informed consent from the OBs that attended my first two births.  Both ended with cesarean section.  I learned later there were things that I could've done to avoid them and that in fact they were both probably unnecessary.  After doing my own research into birth, I decided to hire CPMs.  For the first time I was given informed consent.  My midwives were very thorough with me on not only the risks of VBA2C/risks of homebirth, but they also covered nutrition, explained what tests they felt might be necessary and why. They gave me information and references for me to review over time and gave me ample time to discuss my concerns. 

It is my hope that requirements/enforcement for informed consent will be made for OBs as well.  It's my understanding that it is a requirement, but they are not actually providing it.

Sincerely,

Dawn Kubik