To think all mum to be should sign consent forms

[McHappyPants2012]

Over the last few weeks I have read quite a few threads where a labour ends up in an emergeny c-section.

I suspect a consent form would have to be signed, but wouldn't it make sense to have these forms filled in just incase, same with the eperdiral surly it would be more sense for these forms to be signed while a women is more calm and not facing an emergency or server pain

I should add. I have experience not of a crash section but of signing a very wide ranging consent form for one of my children to have surgery. Nor were the risks of the surgery adequately explained (they actually weren't explained at all)

And it is my experience whilst many times the system works very well, if there is a surgeon with a high handed attitude and a God complex he can go much further than he is technically - and legally - able to.

I went absolutely mental at the poor medic who was asking me to sign the consent form and was explaining what it all meant. The big red button had been pressed and I was being rushed to theatre in a rather dramatic fashion, as DS needed out immediately (i had only been in hospital 10 mins) I remember screaming at him that I didn't have an f**ing choice!

I think it is a bit unnecessary to expect written consent in those types of circumstances but I don't think prior consent would be a good idea for the reason others have said about choosing the right intervention for you in the circumstances

But the consent form includes things along the lines of "you understand the reason for the procedure.." which wouldn't be true as it hadn't happened yet. So no YABU.

I signed a consent form for an emcs because I could see that it was a genuine emergency. I would have felt totally different about signing one before there was any evidence of an emergency happening.

Do you normally have to sign a consent form before an epidural then?

I have no memory of signing anything, so am wondering if I would have signed one and just forgot about it.

No, I would not have signed one.
I very much did not want either an epidural or a CS.
Had they been necessary I would have agreed, but in advance, No.
As another poster very neatly put it, I didn't want the foot in the door.

DD2 was born at home, mostly because I hated the lack of privacy in labour and everything about the postnatal ward.
However, distance from twitchy doctors was a distinct advantage.