Tea with Jodi S2-E3 - Birth Story: Shelby Harshbarger

2025-TWJ-S002-E003 - Birth Story: Shelby Harshbarger

Outline

Birth story with Shelby Harshbarger, including early labor symptoms and hospital birth.

• Shelby Harshbarger shares her birth story, highlighting the challenges she faced in a hospital setting.
• Pregnant woman experienced smooth pregnancy with early labor symptoms.

Labor and delivery experience with a focus on birth plan requests.

• Speaker 1 experienced front labor pain, which was foreign to them, and was relieved to know it was how it should be.
• Speaker 1 had a breech baby that flipped and was not a major concern, but was monitored throughout pregnancy.
• Jodi Graves hands her birth plan to the nurse, requesting no cervical checks, IV, or excessive medication, and frequent fetal monitoring with movement.
• The nurse looks over the plan but doesn't seem to understand or respect Jodi's wishes, leading Jodi to feel anxious and unsure about the birth process.

Cervical exams during labor, patient declines.

• Speaker 1 discusses their birth plan with provider, including no cervical exams.
• Speaker 1 resisted cervical exam, citing previous discussion and obvious labor signs.
• Midwife Hannah assured no issue, reassured on monitoring and exam avoidance.

Unnecessary cervical exams in childbirth.

• Speaker argues against cervical exam requirement during labor.
• Speaker 1 resisted cervical exam, insisting on comfort in a room instead of triage.
• Doula raised concern about space and equipment for emergency situations.

Birthing options, medical staff disagreements, and a baby born after a chaotic delivery.

• Speaker 1 expresses frustration with lack of privacy and care during labor, including being denied a room with life-saving equipment and being asked to consent to an exam without proper explanation.
• Speaker 1's doula advocates for her rights and seeks clarification on hospital policies, leading to a confrontation with the nurse and midwife over their refusal to accommodate her wishes.
• Speaker 1's water broke unexpectedly, leading to a chaotic and overwhelming birth experience.
• Despite the challenges, the mother and baby received excellent care from the mother-baby nurses, who prioritized skin-to-skin contact and delayed cord clamping.

Birth trauma and lack of listening to mother's wishes during delivery.

• Midwife administered Pitocin against birth plan, despite no IV or fetal monitoring.
• Jodi Graves shares her birth story, highlighting disregard for her wishes and lack of listening from medical staff.
• Jodi appreciates the opportunity to share her story, hoping it will bring change in the way women are treated during labor.

Vaginal exams during labor, patient advocacy, and hospital policies.

• Midwife disputes hospital policy on comfort measures during labor
• Jodi Graves expresses outrage over medical professional's refusal to perform a vaginal exam without consent.
• Jodi Graves argues against routine vaginal exams during labor, citing low accuracy rate and risks of infection.

Vaginal exams during pregnancy and their potential risks.

• Jodi Graves discusses study that correlates vaginal examination with premature rupture of membranes, increasing risk of maternal fever and other complications.
• Study of 273 at-term deliveries in an Air Force Regional Hospital found 11% incidence of premature rupture of membranes in patients with primary cesarean section.
• Jodi Graves criticizes maternity care in the US, citing inaccurate vaginal exams and unnecessary interventions.
• Graves argues that maternal health outcomes in Michigan are poor, with the March of Dimes giving the state a D+ grade in 2022.

 

Link: Michigan Family Doulas

Shelby Harshbarger shared her challenging birth experience on the "Tea with Jodi" podcast. Despite having an easy pregnancy and a clear birth plan requesting minimal interventions, Shelby faced resistance from hospital staff who insisted on performing cervical exams. Despite being in active labor, she was denied admission until she consented to the exam. Shelby's water broke, and she was rushed into a room. Despite her refusal, she was given IV Pitocin and had fetal monitoring against her wishes. Her daughter was born, and the hospital staff later corrected the birth time and other details in her records. Shelby emphasized the importance of listening to women's birth plans and wishes.

Transcripts: Birth Story: Shelby Harshbarger