When we do a Delivery Plan it is convenient to know that current laws provide a series of rights to patients in general and specifically to pregnant women. The current legislation includes them and it is convenient to know them thoroughly. In summary we can say that we have the right to confidentiality, privacy and reliable information. We also have the right to have our complete medical history.
The first thing is that we have the right to be accompanied at all times by a person of our trust. The fact that this person leaves the room, parlor or operating room must be medically justified in a clear way. If your stay poses a risk to the safety of the intervention, you may be asked not to be present, but in most interventions and exams you can and should remain by our side.
Putting on a path, doing an exploration or even breaking the bag does not prevent us from being accompanied. Even in childbirth. Also in case of caesarean section, there are many places where being allows our companion to be present so we can include it.
The person who accompanies us It can, and usually is, be our partner, but it is not mandatory. It can be our mother or a friend. This figure is very important for the parturient, because it is a fundamental emotional and practical support. It will make us feel safe, it will give us pampering and massage, and above all it is who must ensure that our desires and will are fulfilled. You must, therefore, be aware of the Delivery Plan, know and respect it. Some women prefer that it be a doula that is present and for women from other countries, especially if they do not know the language well, a cultural intermediary may be the best option.
We also have the right to be treated at all times with understanding and individually. Health workers should keep the maximum confidentiality throughout the process and send us a humane and kind treatment. It seems unnecessary to remember, but many women report that the treatment is not what they need. The privacy in the attention and as to the place of this they are also indispensable for the delivery to happen without interruptions. Stress and lack of intimacy interfere with childbirth.
We also have the right to receive complete and truthful information on the evolution of childbirth and the state of the baby. And the ultimate right to decide about each performance of the professionals is ours, so we must be informed of each of them.
We can refuse to examine or intervene internship staff, even to be present as observers. It is our birth and no one other than the acting medical staff has to see us if we do not want to. That does not take away from the fact that, if we really do not feel that this interferes with the essential intimacy of the process, we can access the personnel that is being trained, attend us or be present, and in many cases the midwives in training show signs of enormous sensitivity. That is a great help. But always the right to decide is ours.
All this can be reflected in our Delivery Plan, even if they are rights included in the legislation, it is worth mentioning them.
