Informed Consent in Pregnancy and Birth: Why It Matters
When it comes to pregnancy and birth, there’s one word we can’t stop talking about—and for good reason: consent.
Whether you’re planning a home birth, a hospital birth, or something in between, informed consent is one of the most powerful tools you have. It’s not about being polite. It’s not just signing a form. It’s about understanding your options, knowing your rights, and making decisions that align with your values and your body.
Let’s talk about what informed consent means—and how to use it as your superpower throughout your pregnancy and birth journey.
What Is Informed Consent?
Informed consent is permitting a medical procedure or decision after fully understanding the risks, benefits, and alternatives. It’s a conversation, not a checklist.
It means:
You understand what is being proposed.
You’ve had time to ask questions.
You are free to say yes, no, or "I need more time."
Your choice is respected without pressure or punishment.
Why It Matters in Birth
Pregnancy and birth often involve multiple decisions—some routine, others unexpected. Informed consent ensures that you remain in control, especially in vulnerable moments.
When informed consent is not practiced, it can lead to deeply harmful experiences—such as undergoing unwanted procedures that leave you feeling violated, experiencing emotional trauma from being ignored or dismissed, and losing trust in the very care team that’s meant to support you. These moments can stay with you long after birth. In contrast, when informed consent is prioritized, it creates a foundation of respect and partnership. It fosters greater trust between you and your provider, increases your overall satisfaction with your birth experience, and allows you to feel empowered and clear-headed, even when unexpected decisions arise. Informed consent isn’t just a step in care—it’s the key to a more respectful and humanizing birth.
How to Practice Informed Consent: Tips & Tools
Whether you're just starting prenatal care or heading into labor, these steps can help you stay informed and empowered:
1. Ask the “BRAIN” Questions
Use this easy acronym when you’re offered a test, procedure, or intervention:
Benefits – What are the benefits?
Risks – What are the risks?
Alternatives – Are there other options?
Intuition – What does your gut say?
Nothing – What happens if we wait or do nothing?
2. Bring a Birth Partner or Advocate
Someone who knows your preferences can help ask questions and speak up if you're tired, overwhelmed, or in pain.
3. Write It Down in Your Birth Plan
Include a section in your birth plan that highlights your preferences around consent—for example: “Please explain procedures and ask for verbal consent before touching me.”
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Say No
Refusing a procedure doesn’t make you a “difficult” patient. It makes you an informed one.
5. Choose a Provider Who Welcomes Questions
A care provider who respects your curiosity is a good sign. You should never feel rushed, dismissed, or punished for advocating for yourself.
Trauma-Informed Consent: For Survivors and Everyone
For many survivors of sexual trauma, medical environments—particularly those involving pelvic exams, nudity, or power imbalances—can unexpectedly reactivate old wounds. Birth, despite its beauty, can be physically and emotionally vulnerable, sometimes bringing up sensations, fears, or loss of control that echo past trauma.
That’s why trauma-informed consent is not just a courtesy—it’s essential. It centers your physical, emotional, and psychological safety, and it acknowledges that your history matters.
Trauma-informed care doesn’t assume that every person comes to birth with the same experiences. Instead, it builds trust slowly, offers choices constantly, and respects boundaries without question.
What Trauma-Informed Consent Might Look Like:
Narrating each step: You can ask your provider to explain exactly what they’re doing before and during any procedure. Hearing “I’m going to gently place my hand on your belly now,” or “Let me know when you’re ready for the next step” can shift the experience from being done to you to being done with you.
Explicit verbal consent: You have the right to say when, how, and if your body is touched. A provider who says “Is it okay if I perform a cervical check?” and waits for a clear yes, not a pressured agreement, is practicing consent with integrity.
Declining or delaying procedures: Trauma-informed care gives you space to pause, say “not right now,” or even ask to reschedule a non-urgent exam. You are never obligated to justify your decision.
Having a support person present, or privacy to decide: You may want a trusted partner, doula, or advocate with you during exams or conversations. Or, you might need space alone to think, breathe, and decide. Both are valid.
Control over positioning and clothing: If being on your back or uncovered is triggering, you can request to stay clothed where possible, lie on your side, or sit upright for certain procedures. You are allowed to prioritize your comfort.
Establishing a stop word or signal: Especially during internal exams or labor procedures, you can agree on a word or hand gesture that immediately signals the provider to stop. This can be deeply reassuring and grounding.
A Note to Survivors:
You do not have to disclose your trauma to receive respectful, trauma-informed care.
You do not owe anyone your story to be treated gently.
But if you choose to share, a supportive provider will listen without judgment, adjust their approach, and reaffirm your right to lead the pace of your care.
You Deserve Care That Respects Your Story
Your history, your boundaries, and your healing journey all matter in the birth space.
Whether you choose to give birth at home or in a hospital, your provider should be a guardian of your peace, not a source of fear. You are worthy of safe, kind, and affirming care—always.
Final Thoughts: You Are the Expert on You
Informed consent is your lifeline to bodily autonomy. It transforms your birth from a passive experience to an empowered partnership. Let it guide every conversation with your provider, advocate for it fiercely, and trust that your voice matters.
Whomever you choose to walk with you during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey, they should believe in transparent communication, shared decision-making, and honoring your autonomy at every step. Your voice matters. Your comfort matters. Your birth matters.
Let’s rewrite the story of birth—one empowered decision at a time.
Ready to feel supported, seen, and heard in pregnancy? We’re here for you.
📅 Visit birthincolormidwifery.com to schedule your prenatal consultation today.
