A new report reveals that more women feel like they don’t have a choice in decision-making during childbirth.
Birthrights is an established charity co-founded in 2013 by human rights barristers Elizabeth Prochaska and Rebecca Schiller. It aims to provide support for pregnant women in England throughout each stage of the pregnancy process. Providing a constant cycle of legal advice and support.
The charity shared a new report about how women really feel regarding the treatment they receive in the maternity ward. Gathering responses from 300 patients across England. The report highlights that a large proportion of women do not feel that medical professionals listen to them. Arguing that, more often than not, medical professionals will pressure or coerce them into making alternative decisions.
Understandably, medical professionals are required to adhere to legal medical practice. Which you could see as a counterargument. However, the dismissal of women’s voices and choices during birth care can lead to hostility, lack of trust, or worse, fatal accidents.
The report shared numerous responses from women about their horrible experiences. One lady shares,
“I remember a doctor saying to me: ‘You can choose to have a C-section now, or you can wait a few hours, and I’ll press that buzzer behind your head, and you’ll have one anyway.'”
