#478: Deception In Documentation Is Pervasive & Pernicious

What happens when the medical record doesn't match the birth experience?

This week, Blyss and Stu dive into one of the most uncomfortable, but critically important topics in maternity care: documentation, informed consent, and the ways language can shape a family's entire birth experience.

Using real-world examples, published legal cases, hospital consent forms, and an anonymous patient story, they examine how documentation can influence clinical decisions, legal outcomes, and patient autonomy. They discuss the difference between genuine informed consent and liability-driven documentation, why wording matters, and how routine practices can become normalized before parents even realize they have options.

Whether you plan to birth at home, in a birth center, or in the hospital, understanding how consent, documentation, and communication intersect can help you become a more informed participant in your own care.

References:

Girls Who Know: girlswhoknow.com (code instincts for 15% off)

Case Law Update: Gawthrop v Bendigo Health [2026] VSC 157

https://bravelegal.com.au/gawthrop-v-bendigo-health-vaginal-examination/

Melissa Philippe Facebook Post

The Doula Group on Facebook

Johns Hopkins: Delivering Your Baby

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/delivery

Discussed in This Episode

What true informed consent should look like
How documentation can influence legal and medical narratives
The difference between physiologic birth and procedure-based birth education
Why coercive language matters
A court ruling that recognized non-consensual vaginal exams as assault.
How fear-based counseling can affect birth decisions
Why birth education before labor is more important than ever

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care

This show is supported by

LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

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