In this episode, Cristen speaks with an experienced Labor & Delivery nurse about the obstetric violence she has witnessed and even participated in. She says, “I’ve seen doctors pry women’s legs apart with their elbows… I’ve seen doctors check people [vaginally] while the women were saying, ‘no,’ …”
She also talks about advocating to change a patriarchal system: “I truly believe that the women in any given community have way more power than they realize. [They] can take over if they really put their minds to it.”
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At Mayo I saw a Dr twist a baby’s head 360 with me screaming “Stop it you’re killing him!” Of course, the baby died. I strongly suspicion the Dr. is still working there though I did testify against him.
Homebirth 1985 they gave me a huge overdose castor oil to induce. Caused inconcordate contractions, extreme pain, small uterine rupture, my BP went off the top of the scale and my son’s heart rate dropped to 68. Naturally I asked for the phone to call an ambulance as I was incapable of moving off the bed. She told me, “Get it yourself”–and left the room–did not come when I yelled for her. I bled for 5 1/2 months after and almost died of infection as midwife scolded me for taking an antibiotic and nurse practitioner would not listen to me about my son’s allergy symptoms and the violent penicillin allergy in my family. And did I mention, the midwives restrained me to examine me after the birth? When I wanted transport? I nearly bled to death–they not only were incompetent but they gaslighted me about how much blood I lost–I found out how much when I had to wash the bloody towels and when WIC checked my blood count— The midwifery community is STILL giving huge overdoses of castor oil to induce labor–and using garlic to reduce BP–which opens the door for greater blood loss in a population already prone to hemorrhage.