Hi! I’m Cristen Pascucci, an expert on human rights in childbirth.  I specialize in advocacy and education related to mistreatment (obstetric violence) and trauma in childbirth, and I offer private and confidential consultations to consumers, birth workers, and medical professionals.

A little bit about me

In 2012, I joined the national consumer advocacy organization Improving Birth as vice president. Immediately, I was on the receiving end of a constant stream of messages and calls from parents asking things like: “My doctor is saying I have to be induced on my due date. Do I really have to?” and, “A nurse forced a cervical check on me while I was saying no. What do I do now?”

I started working with some amazing birth lawyers to find the answers to questions like these, and tapping into an incredible national network of birth workers and advocates to support worried, often desperate, parents with options, information, and resources. Over the following years, I co-created a hotline with lawyers combining consumer and legal advocacy and have helped countless women navigate the system–pushing back on that system alongside them, helping them find safer and more respectful care, assert their healthcare rights, get their stories out to the public, communicate their complaints to their hospitals, and, even, at times, to file lawsuits after the fact.

Since then, I have traveled around the U.S. teaching human and legal rights in childbirth, which is now available as an online course that is the first of its kind.  I now specialize in creating and offering innovative virtual and in-person learning experiences that focus on harm reduction in perinatal care systems.

How can I help?

I come to this work from a unique background in public affairs–a mesh of business, government relations, media, politics, strategic communication, and public relations. It has been a pleasure and an honor employing those skills in an entirely different field to help parents (especially sexual assault and trauma survivors) and professionals get what they need out of a challenging system.

If you’d like to talk with me, you can book a session right now.

Details

Initial sessions include 90 minutes of one-on-one time with me by video (or phone if you prefer) and any follow-up information or referrals at a cost of $150 (additional hours are $125/each).

I do not offer, nor am I qualified to offer, medical or legal advice. What I can do is point you to the best information and resources that I know of, connect you with experts and resources, point out options you didn’t know you had, help you articulate your story, and share with you the benefit of my experience and ability to problem-solve.