[FREE BONUS] Forced C-Sections, Fetal Personhood Laws, & The Women Fighting Back

UPDATE: Hi folks, we're releasing this Patreon exclusive to all our listeners because the main story in this episode is now going to court + we want to share the story more widely. If you want to support her trial: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-fight-for-justice-after-a-courtordered-csection

Erika and Kristen dig into a deeply disturbing ProPublica investigation of two Black women in Florida who were subjected to emergency court hearings during active labor when they refused unwanted C-sections.

The hosts break down the cases in detail, including the murky statistics on uterine rupture risk, the medical racism baked into how Black women are treated during childbirth, and how Florida's fetal personhood laws have created a legal landscape where state prisoners have more rights over their medical decisions than pregnant women.

They also revisit the ongoing story of Adriana Smith, the Georgia woman declared brain dead at 9 weeks pregnant whose family has been navigating the aftermath of forced life support ever since.

Key topics covered

The ProPublica investigation into Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennett
What fetal personhood laws are and why they matter right now
The 1999 Laura Pemberton case — an early Florida forced C-section precedent
Medical racism and the maternal mortality disparity for Black women
The difference between doulas and midwives
Why mentally competent patients can refuse most medical treatment
Adriana Smith's story and her family's GoFundMe
Women being excluded from health studies until the 1990s

TRIPS:
Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika (Tickets close on May 2!)
Christmas Markets 2026!!!

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