Saying ‘No’ to a maternity care professionals
“Because of the power dynamic, women often avoid upsetting their maternity health professional because they are afraid that this will adversely affect the care they receive during pregnancy, labour and birth.
What needs to be considered here, however, is how adversely a stream of ‘Yeses’ also affects one’s care… If care providers are not aware that you have an expectation of active involvement in making decisions about your care, they may assume you are simply happy to ‘go with the flow’ and make decisions on your behalf.
“I trusted my doctor so much, I went with the flow and realised I was being compliant, to my detriment”
A ‘No’ with a care provider might be:
- “No, I do not consent to that treatment.”
- “No, I do not feel comfortable with that because I need more time/more information/another opinion, please, before I make my decision.”
- “Thank you for your opinion about x, I really appreciate that you took the time to explain it to me. I have considered it and believe that I would like to continue with y instead.”
The AMA’s maternal decision making position statement supports a woman’s right to make informed choices and decline treatment.