Contest to Challenge View of Childbirth

National Advocates for Pregnant Women seeks entries written by law students addressing the question of what statutory, constitutional, and/or human rights arguments can be made to challenge the trend of banning pregnant women from having a vaginal birth after a cesarean section (VBAC), among other controversial issues facing childbearing women today. The winner receives $1,000.

Comments

VBAC Essay Contest

by Anonymous - 01/08/2009 - 15:42

What a good idea to have an essay contest for law students on this subject. All three hospitals here in the Southcoast of MA have banned VBAC policies, so a mom has to travel all the way to Providence or Boston, about 45 minutes to an hour drive, or more for VBAC options. That’s ridiculous. What’s worse is it lowers expectations of parents around the issue of VBAC, by discouraging it. It’s also expensive to have to drive far away to see a care provider that offers VBAC, when you can’t have one in your own community.
I hope law students will support a challenge to hospitals with restrictive policies. It truly seems like discrimination, in increasing the odds in favor of surgical birth, and it also seems like an abuse of power. I would like to help support lawyers who have the courage to launch a challenge against hospitals with prohibitive VBAC policies. I am an OB RN who had 3 homebirths, and was a founding member & former board member of ICAN, when it was CPM (Cesarean Prevention Movement in the 80’s ) and the editor of a new small press literary magazine, ATLANTIC PACIFIC PRESS. Contact me, if you want my help typing, organizing, as a witness of the benefits of VBAC vs. repeat C-sections, or with court advocacy. Christine Walen 279 Gulf Rd. So. Dartmouth, MA 02748 abcworks@att.net 508-994-7869.