Saying stop
You keep the right to withdraw consent partway through.
Agreeing to something does not commit you to it continuing. You can say stop during an examination, during a sweep, during an attempted instrumental delivery. Unless the situation is a genuine emergency measured in minutes, that should be respected.
Useful sentences, in escalating order:
- "Please stop for a moment."
- "I have not agreed to that."
- "Stop, and tell me what you are doing and why."
- "Is this an emergency right now, or do we have time to talk?"
That last one is the most useful sentence in this tool. Some situations genuinely are emergencies. Knowing the difference is what lets you spend your energy on the moments that are actually a choice.
And the other side of itA prolapsed cord, a placental abruption with heavy bleeding, or a baby whose heart rate has not recovered do not leave time for deliberation. In those moments speed genuinely is the thing keeping your baby safe.
Where this comes from:
256. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Refusal of medically recommended treatment during pregnancy. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 664. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;127(6):e175-e182.
261. Chervenak FA, McLeod-Sordjan R, Pollet SL, De Four Jones M, Gordon MR, Combs A, et al. Obstetric violence is a misnomer. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024;230(3S):S1138-S1145.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.