Comments made by Wyoming Medical Center regarding a petition submitted to the hospital, are being met with heavy criticism from the organization that started the petition.

The co-founder of VBAC Casper, Chelse DePaolo-Lara says that she's disappointed in the medical center's response.

VBAC Casper submitted a petition to the website Change-dot-org, asking the hospital to change its policies on women who wish to have a baby vaginally after having had a cesarean surgery during a previous pregnancy. WMC said that it does not currently have the resources in place to advise women to go through vaginal birth after cesarean.

DePaolo-Lara says she believes the women of the community deserve better.

"They call themselves a leading regional medical center of Wyoming, and the women of Wyoming, and their babies deserve better than that.  They deserve better service.  They deserve better patient care than that.  It's just a lame excuse."

In a press release sent to media earlier this week, WMC had also said that, in addition to a lack of resources, the insurance carrier for the hospital does not allow for the practice.

"In addition to being very costly, our insurance carrier does not allow us to provide this service due to the risk involved. We and our insurance carrier have taken a conservative position in the belief that this best protects the health of the mother and the baby. Malpractice insurance premiums for doctors likely would increase if they offered VBAC."

-Wyoming Medical Center Press Release

 

DePaolo-Lara says that WMC is operating on outdated VBAC guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which say that vaginal birth after cesarean is a safe alternative to having an additional cesarean surgery in a subsequent pregnancy.  DePaolo-Lara goes on to contend that other medical facilities in the state, operating with the same insurance company offer the option.

Officials with Wyoming Medical Center have said, however, that WMC does not force women to have cesarean surgery, and would advise against getting a VBAC, but would treat a woman in labor like any other, after the woman signed paperwork saying she'd been advised of the risks.

More From KOWB 1290