1. Could someone (possibly a doula group) please lobby for greater transparency in obstetrician's caesarean rates.
2. could someone please advise on your rights re seeking a second opinion during labour?
Good suggestions. I would strongly suggest widening the choice from choosing between obstetricians/hospitals to including birth centres and Independant Midwives.

You will get varying opinions within the medical model, but if you carry your research & questioning wider than that and seek a second opinion from personnel skilled in the Midwifery Model, you will get a completely different philosophy, solutions & alternatives. Choices you are not likely to become aware of, if those you are polling are staff within the medical model.

Ways & means by which one can do this:

* Consider alternatives to having an Obstetrician as your lead careprovider
* Consider alternatives to a hospital as your choice of birth place
* If you do wish to have an Obstetrician, get a second opinion from an Indy MW, just as a way of comparing
* If you feel you may wish to have access to a second opinion in labour, hire an Indy MW to accompany you - BB's Alan's sig says: "private midwifery for home and hospital".
* Search the midwifery, especially the homebirth midwifery community for information, not only medical journals etc.

These steps will surely yield different information and options. This knowledge may then serve to either help you feel confident to choose a different model of care OR it will serve to help become even more sure that what you've chosen is desirable.