Ep 160: Advocating for what you need when the mainstream says “NO”

What do you do when your mainstream care provider won’t listen to what it is that you need?  When you KNOW something isn’t right, but they totally blow you off? 

This week we’re speaking to Michelle Rodas, who had to go to battle with her care providers in order to keep her baby safe.  We’ll hear how she advocated for her child in utero and what she did to avoid further disruptions later on in her pregnancy, which, believe it or not led her to to out-of hospital midwifery.

Episode Roundup

Did you get goosebumps?  I totally did when Michelle shared how she did what she had to do to get progesterone for her baby, and seemingly just in time.  As we head into this week’s episode round up, you can bet your bottom dollar that’s what we’re going to discuss.

1. Michelle took it upon herself to do research and see what it was that she needed.  She took on additional financial responsibility through testing, knowing that the safety of her baby could very well be on the line.  Even when her OBs spoke down to her and acted as though her desires were silly and unnecessary, she continued.  This is huge, and it leads me to the most important thing you can ever know:  NOBODY knows your body and your baby like you know your body and baby.  And as harsh as it sounds, nobody is going to care about your body and your baby as much as you will.  So don’t bow down to people simply because they have the air quotes authority of a white coat.  You’re an intelligent human being and you can advocate for what your baby needs.  And if your intuition and prior experiences are telling you that something may be off, listen to that.  And act- even if you think others might call you silly or think you’re wrong.  Who. Cares.  Michelle is snuggling her baby right now, and I doubt she gives a flying flip about what her OB thinks about progesterone. 

Okay, my friends.  What an incredible episode.  It’s all I’ve got for you for now, and I’ll see you back here next week.

Resources:

The Homebirth Collective

Happy Homebirth Academy