Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys Discuss Obstetric Violence

Obstetric violence is something that you would like to think would never, ever happen. Unfortunately, violent acts are sometimes committed against pregnant women in their most vulnerable hour – during labor and delivery – by the people that they have trusted to care for them during the birth of their child. An Alabama mother recently won a lawsuit against a birthing center after she had an extremely disturbing birth experience there that has left her with permanent physical and emotional injuries.

The woman claimed that as she was laboring on her hands and knees and her baby’s head was emerging when a nurse grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back. Then, as the woman struggled to get off of her back, a nurse pushed the baby’s head back into her body for six minutes, supposedly because the doctor was in the room yet.

The horrifying birth experience described above happened over four years ago, and the mother has suffered much since that time. She has a permanent nerve injury called Pudendal Neuralgia. Her body is so badly damaged that she cannot have intercourse, nor can she have future children. Her physical injuries cause her chronic pain and the emotional trauma that she experienced during the birth of her son causes her to suffer panic attacks.

After a two-week trial, the jury found that the birthing center had violated the standard of maternity care. They also found that the birthing center had participated in “reckless misinterpretation of fact” by advertising their facility as a place where women had many choices available to them throughout the birthing process, options that were not available to them once they were at the birthing center. Not only were options like birthing tubs not available, but the treatment that the mother received was harsh, dangerous, and violent.

This case is important because it exposes an issue that many women who may have received questionable treatment during their birthing experiences are reluctant to talk about. The growing awareness of obstetric violence enables those who have already experienced it to step forward and get the care that they need and seek damages in situations where it is appropriate to do so. It also makes women aware that they should ask questions and speak up if they find themselves receiving questionable care throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Representing Mississippi Birth Injury Victims and Their Families

If you or your child were hurt in any way during childbirth, you might have many questions and concerns on your mind. Birth injuries can take a long time to heal, and they can even cause permanent physical and emotional damage that may require a lifetime of treatment or accommodation. Let us help you pursue a claim for damages while you focus on healing your body and mind, your child’s body and mind, and your family. If you have questions about birth injuries, the Mississippi Birth Injury Attorneys of the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. are here to help you. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022, to learn more.