Fighting hospital for a VBAC in a small town?

[livelovelaugh]

Have any of you fought the good fight? Know anyone who has and had success? From what I have learned from docs and midwives, the route to go is straight to the trustees, and I am wondering if they will even see me, let alone listen to me. Regardless, I have started making phone calls, and whole it is a huge reach, we will see if the chairman of the board calls me back or schedules an appointment! Feeling so incrredibly powerless and frustrated at the system, which is all driven by $ and insurance and ggrrrrrrrrrrr!

[Buzzer Beater]

I've looked high and low for somebody who has had success at this... haven't heard of anyone, only stories of women who got around the policy at our hospital by showing up pushing.

I was trying to find legal representation to fight the ban in my town... had a contract with a group from out of state, but apparently they decided it would be too hard to fight my hospital since it is private. On another note, the reason my hospital has the ban in place is the contract they have with the anesthesiologists. Anesthesia docs refused to sit in hospital on call for vbacs. I wouldn't know how to fight that.

[Fyrestorm]

Originally Posted by Buzzer Beater

On another note, the reason my hospital has the ban in place is the contract they have with the anesthesiologists. Anesthesia docs refused to sit in hospital on call for vbacs. I wouldn't know how to fight that.

Then, since any birth can become an emergency section, your hospital is admitting that they are unprepared for any woman, let alone a VBAC to birth there.

[Buzzer Beater]

Well I sure realize the stupidity of that... especially since we are a regional trauma center. It disgusts me that a whole group of professionals has said they will be ready for emergency trauma victims, for most laboring women, and not for vbac. I can't believe it's legal, honestly. Apparently private hospitals can do whatever they want.

[GOPLawyer]

Honestly, IMO, fighting a ban prior to labor is a loooong and most likely fruitless battle. I prefer the "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission" approach.

I've had 2 c/s w/ the second having a vertical incision. No hospital in the world would "allow" a VBAC for such a situation. My VBAC was supposed to be at home but I went into unstoppable labor at 30 weeks so I had to go to the hospital.

They fought me tooth and nail. They threw out (wrong) statistics, stories of doom and gloom and babies dying. However, as long as I was saying "No" (w/ a very supportive DH next to me essentially standing guard), their hands were tied. They couldn't do a c/s w/o running afoul of the law...and they knew it. As such, I went on to have a, while not perfect, still wonderful VBAC.

Have you considered a homebirth? Yes, I was able to have a VBAC but it would have been soooooo much better at home for so many reasons.

[treemom2]

This is what my OB told me (he was pro vbac while the hospital had a vbac ban). He said I needed to stay home as long as possible before coming to the hospital (I needed to be at least 6cm). Then, the hospital people would tell me I had to have a c-sec, which I was supposed to deny. The hospital would then threaten to make me leave and go to another hospital which the doctor said he would say is unsafe and would refuse to let me leave (the next closest hospital was an hour away). The hospital would then try again to get me to consent to a c-sec, and my own doctor would have to come into the room and say, "I recommend you have a c-section" and argue with me a bit. I was still supposed to refuse and stick to my plan. Yes, it sounds like a lot of work (I ended up having a homebirth, this doc was my back-up); but I was glad for his advice. Is your doctor open to vbac? Can your doc give you some helpful hints like this?

[shenanegans]

Hey treemom2, you are in Japan? I lived in Fukuoka Kyushu for 3.5 years. My son was born there.