VBAC Facts » Washington

Attorneys looking for VBAC ban victims

Jen Kamel — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:23:08 +0000

This was emailed out on the ICAN list:

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Dear Friends,

As you are likely aware, many women are denied access to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) because of hospital policies and outright bans. Attorneys with the Northwest Women’s Law Center in Seattle are looking at this issue.

It requires that the woman is planning a hospital birth, in a hospital that bans VBAC, because she has no other options (not feeling comfortable with a homebirth is an acceptable reason to not have a homebirth for this purpose, so it doesn’t have to be in an area where there are also no midwives available). The reason for not having options can be geographic (no close hospitals to go to) or something like restrictions placed on her because of insurance or lack of insurance. But she definitely has to be planning a hospital birth.

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I’m a lawyer with the Northwest Women’s Law Center in Seattle. I’m investigating possible legal responses to bans on vaginal birth after cesarean at hospitals in the northwest states Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon. If you are currently pregnant and want to have a VBAC, but are facing a hospital policy that would require you to have a c-section regardless of whether you want it and regardless of whether it is actually medically necessary, and you are willing to consider working with a lawyer on this, we’d like to talk with you. Please respond to
vbacbanhelp at ican-online dot org.

Even if you are not in one of the states listed, you can still help by emailing this out to any email lists you are on and asking everyone who receives it to email it to all the lists THEY are on as well so that it is distributed far and wide. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Susan Hodges, “gatekeeper”

The cost of getting your medical records

Jen Kamel — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:42:50 +0000

It’s always enlightening to get a copy of your medical records, specifically the records related to your child’s vaginal birth/cesarean section. Often, women who are told that they needed a cesarean because their baby was in distress, find that the medical records do not reflect that diagnosis. Moms frequently find that the “valid medical reason” they were given is absent from their medical record and in its place is “maternal request,” “elective,” or “consent upon consultation.” Where is the valid medical reason? Frequently, it’s not present in the record simply because it didn’t exist. As we have seen, doctors attempt to coerce women into repeat cesareans based on their schedules and instilling “big baby fear.”

Take the time to get and read your records. You may find that your “emergency” cesarean was no rush at all.

Medical Records Copying Charges by State

Physician Credential Verification by State

Jen Kamel — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:47:45 +0000

Want to know if your doctor has been subject to a board hearing or disciplinary note?

Here is a link to the State Board sites for all 50 states.