A Florida woman at the University of Florida Health Hospital found herself in a virtual court hearing, literally in active labor, after she refused to consent to a C-section. Cherise Doyley, a pregnant mother of three and a professional birthing doula, had arrived at the hospital in labor with a clear birth plan: she wanted to try for a natural delivery.
Doctors, however, were concerned about the risk of uterine rupture, which could lead to severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and fetal distress. It only happens in about 1 in 300 deliveries, but it’s more likely when someone attempts a vaginal delivery after a previous C-section.
