Planned Caesarean Birth (Consent Advice No. 14)

Guidance for healthcare professionals to aid discussions on planned (elective) caesarean birth.

Access the PDF version of Consent Advice No. 14

Animated resource: Understanding the risks and benefits of a caesarean

This animation is designed to support the informed consent process for planned caesarean births by outlining the risks and benefits pregnant women and individuals should be informed of beforehand. Produced with input from key stakeholders and organisations, it is intended for those who have already decided on a caesarean birth. Please note, this is not a decision-making tool.

Summary

This guidance is for healthcare professionals to aid in providing balanced information about benefits, risks and alternative modes of childbirth to those considering a planned (elective) caesarean birth.

Planned caesarean birth is an alternative to planned vaginal birth for women and people who are pregnant with a number of conditions diagnosed before or during pregnancy, or on request for those with no specific medical indication.

This Consent Advice was developed by a specialist Consent Task and Finish Group and is accompanied by the RCOG's Considering a caesarean birth patient information leaflet. These documents were peer reviewed by a range of stakeholders, including members of the RCOG Women’s Network and Women’s Voices Involvement Panel, and when used in conjunction aim to support meaningful discussions tailored to the individual’s needs as part of an informed decision-making and consent process.

Version history

This is the first edition of this paper. The review process will commence in 2025, unless otherwise indicated.

Update 2024

A minor update was undertaken in 2024 to incorporate revisions to risk data provided in Appendix A of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on Caesarean birth [NG192].

Developer declaration of interests

Available on request.