Episode 3: How to Advocate for Yourself with Angelica Miller
In this episode, you’ll hear Angie and I discuss:
What does a midwife do?
For regular care, a midwife performs well-person exams, such as Pap smears, STI testing, and fertility support. During pregnancy and birth, midwives provide full-spectrum care for all appointments and low-risk births.
What is informed consent, and why is it missing in some settings?
Informed consent is giving all the information about a topic in an unbiased way. It’s important to help people make medical decisions based on what’s best for them. Some care providers want things done in a certain way, so they misrepresent information in order to convince patients to do what they want.
What are red flags for care providers?
Their language is forceful; they aren’t explaining procedures and getting consent. (“I’m just going to perform this exam,” instead of “Are you comfortable with me performing this exam? Do you have any questions?”)
They aren’t open to discussing and reviewing contracts. (They have contracts open to final page and don’t review possibilities such as trainees performing procedures.)
They won’t provide alternatives to procedures. (“Oh, you have to have this procedure,” instead of “You could also do this procedure or wait.”
When can instances of ignoring informed consent pop up?
Ignoring informed consent can occur during regular but optional exams such as Pap smears, breast / chest exams, cervical checks, or with newborns doing procedures like bulb suctioning. It is rushing and performing non-emergency procedures to save time and avoid explanation.
What do you wish people knew about communicating with their care providers?
People want their medical providers to care about them as much as they do. But providers are biased, whether that’s hospital policy, personal experience, or other reasons. People should listen to their instincts and remember they know their body the best. And remember that you can switch your nurse / doctor / midwife if they aren’t a good fit for you.
How can we or our support person advocate for us?
Use BRAIN
Ask the provider to leave the room if you need time to process
Ask for the research. (“Can you print the study you’re referring to because I’d like to be informed?”)
How can care providers do better?
Care providers can spend more time explaining their procedures and preferences. They can also explain that they might not be the care provider. Patients can ask questions about what they do in instances of emergency.
What is your best pregnancy / birth / postpartum tip?
People need support and need to set themselves up with a support system. It’s worth investing in. Birthing people don’t need to be super humans and do all the things. It’s not possible. Use your friends and families for support, and set up things like meal trains.
Where can people find you?
Angie is based in Long Beach, CA; she serves Long Beach, LA, and some of North Orange County. You can find her on her website or her Instagram. She hosts free monthly meetups for clients and non-clients.
Angelica Miller has been enamored with helping and caring for others since she was a child. Her love for pregnancy and infants grew the older she got, by 10 you could say she was obsessed! She has been amazed at what the human body has the power to achieve. She chose midwifery because she desires to empower women to embrace and trust their capabilities to birth naturally. Along her journey she continues to ground herself, grow and expand her knowledge on birth practices and disparities worldwide. She believes that every person deserves individualized care and informed consent. She stands by supporting moms in the way they see fit. Angie is honored to be a part of birth journeys; to see people become parents, children to become siblings, and families grow in love. If you aren’t catching Angie talking about birth and wellness you can find her traveling, reading, being active, spending time with her family, playing with her pup and taking an active role in her community.
