Reduce Preventable Cesareans with ICAN
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Most importantly, your donations sustain the heart of our organization: our local Chapters!
ICAN is 100% volunteer-led. Dedicated Chapter Leaders carry out our "boots on the ground" work supporting, educating, and advocating for their community's specific needs.
1 in 5 birthing people worldwide will experience a cesarean.
We Believe:
- The inappropriate overuse of cesarean surgery is jeopardizing lives.
- When a cesarean is necessary, it can be a lifesaving technique, and worth the risks involved.
- Birth is a normal physiological process. With emotional support, education, and an honest opportunity, the vast majority can have a healthy vaginal birth.
- A healthy birth incorporates emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
- Research shows that VBAC is realistic and safe for a majority and a repeat cesarean should never be considered routine– it is major abdominal surgery with many risks.
- VBAC bans are unethical and unenforceable for hospitals to institute. People have the right to informed refusal which includes declining a cesarean.
- Facilitation of the informed consent process is incumbent upon every care provider and institution.
- People have the right to informed consent and refusal, which entails full, unbiased knowledge of the risks, benefits and alternatives of all recommendations.
- Birthing people must be allowed to express all their birth related feelings in a safe and supportive environment. Emotions have profound effects on the birth outcome and recovery.
- Recommending and/or performing non-medically indicated cesareans, including elective, is unethical for providers without first informing of all risks of this option, both long and short term.
- Providers and facilities must make every effort to provide options during cesareans that embody as many of the environment, experiences and research-based benefits of a vaginal birth as possible, as in gentle or family centered cesareans.
- The number of cesareans on maternal request is being significantly overstated through distortion of research and data.
- Consumers must assume more responsibility for their own births.
- Respecting a person’s choice of care provider and location of birth is critical.
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3 Comments
Donate and CommentThank you for the beautiful work you do
Sedona Young
It's Cesarean Awareness Month! Thanks for all you do!
Samantha Wall
I am so thankful for the support I've received from ICAN.
Erin Flage