International Cesarean Awareness Network

My hospital is currently not allowing VBAC and forcing me to have a cesarean; what are my options?

• Contact ICAN with the name and city/state of the denying hospital, along with the name and contact information of the Nurse-Manager of Labor & Delivery/Birthing unit that is forcing you to have surgery against your will.
• You may choose to present a signed VBAC Consent Form as proof of your understanding of the benefits and risks involved in childbirth.
• According to the Patient Care Partnership of the American Hospital Association, you have the right to refuse recommended treatment, including a cesarean section. If you refuse a recommendation, alternative treatment should be provided.  In this case, a VBAC.
• State you require more time to consider your decision. Ask to postpone the surgery until you have been given adequate time to research your decision thoroughly.
• When labor begins spontaneously, some mothers feel more comfortable laboring in the comfort of their own homes for as long as possible. It may be possible to find a doula or monitrice for labor support.
• It is never too late to change caregivers or birth location. Begin seeking another caregiver or birth location immediately. Even a physician’s slightest counter to VBAC may ultimately become a forced cesarean.
• Write a letter to your local television station and/or the editor of your local newspaper, telling them you are being forced to have a cesarean against your will.
• Contact the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and ask them to reconsider their restrictive VBAC guidelines. Express how denial of care has affected you. Direct your correspondence to:

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