Medical Staff Use CPS Threat to Force Women’s Compliance During Labor

In 2010, after Michelle Mitchell’s physician recommended she have a cesarean section, her doctor threatened to call CPS if she did not consent to it. 

This 2018 article in the Harvard Journal of Law & Gender illustrates what can happen when patients make decisions during the birth of a child that differ from what their doctor believes is best. Sometimes, according to the article, CPS threats or are used to compel compliance.

For Ms. Mitchell, even though her labor was progressing normally, after hours of threats, she finally agreed to have a cesarean.

Similarly, in 2014, Jennifer Goodall wanted a natural birth, but her doctor’s disagreed and threatened to report her to CPS or to get a court order. They even went so far as to say that they would perform a cesarean whether she consented or not. She ultimately was able to find another hospital that supported her decision, where she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Many doctors and nurses are reasonable. Some are not. This is why we encourage families to join Heritage Defense to have an experienced attorney available 24/7 to defend your rights.

Read the entire article here: The Use of Child Protective Services and Court Orders to Enforce Medical Compliance in the Labor and Delivery Room: How Threats of Legal Action Limit Reproductive Choice

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