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Rally at Capitol aimed to educate women about birthing options

Posted at 8:47 PM, Sep 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-05 22:47:17-04

SALT LAKE CITY - A group of families rallied at the State Capitol to educate parents about safer birthing options Monday morning.

The rally was to gain support for birth labor options for expectant mothers. Those at the event wanted women to know that cesarean section delivery doesn’t necessarily mean future pregnancies have to follow the same delivery option.

Mother of five and organizer of the rally, Pam Udy said mothers need to be educated about having a vaginal birth after a C-section, also known as a VBAC.

“We have lost respect for women in birth and there is a huge violation of patient autonomy and rights in birth,” Udy said.

Udy said women don’t have to keep having C-sections.

Despite that, the Utah mother explained she had a doctor tell her his Ogden hospital didn’t allow vaginal births after a cesarean.

Udy is one of many mothers who've heard they do not have that choice. Another mother of three, Renee Lake, went through the same experience in Kearns.

“They don’t understand they can have a vaginal birth after a cesarean, and they also don’t understand that it is completely legal, it’s completely a choice they have a lot of doctors and hospitals don’t do it,” Lake said.

The National Institute of Health says there can be risks with a vaginal birth after a C-section. Studies show about one percent of women suffer a uterine rupture.

University of Utah Health Care officials say VBACs are OK but there are risks. Health professionals recommend a C-section if the baby shows distress signs, if a baby is too big or there are multiple babies.

Studies also show between 60 -80 percent of women who attempt VBACs are successful.