The Pregnancy to Parenting Show with Elizabeth Joy · Elizabeth Joy Presta

EP 324: Lawsuits and Childbirth with Attorney, Gina Mundy

·49 min·4 clips

Attorney Gina Mundy reveals how she helps parents avoid childbirth mistakes before they happen.

This episode features host Elizabeth Joy, a birth doula and prenatal coach, interviewing attorney Gina Mundy, who specializes in childbirth-related legal cases. Gina Mundy has over two decades of experience investigating mistakes during labor and delivery and recently authored the book *A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth*. The conversation centers on applying legal knowledge proactively to prevent medical errors and improve birth outcomes. Gina Mundy explains her work involves analyzing patterns of mistakes that occur in hospital births, such as errors in fetal monitoring interpretation or medication administration. She emphasizes that many lawsuits arise from a failure to obtain proper informed consent, where patients are not presented with all risks, benefits, and alternatives. The host, Elizabeth Joy, aligns this with her doula experience, noting medical teams often advise but do not comprehensively inform patients. Mundy's book is presented as a tool to help expecting parents understand their rights and ask critical questions before and during delivery. She discusses common scenarios where interventions are recommended without full disclosure of potential consequences. The attorney's goal is to shift her involvement from litigation after harm occurs to education that prevents harm. A key insight is that informed consent is a continuous process, not a single signed form, requiring clear communication throughout labor. Mundy suggests parents can prepare by researching hospital policies and understanding their legal right to refuse or question procedures. She points out that standard medical protocols sometimes conflict with individual patient needs or the latest evidence. The host highlights the doula's role in facilitating these conversations and helping parents navigate the system. An interesting claim is that many preventable birth injuries stem from systemic issues like staff fatigue or inadequate training, not just individual negligence. Mundy argues that empowered, informed patients are better positioned to collaborate with their care team and avoid adversarial outcomes. The tone is educational and collaborative, blending legal analysis with practical advocacy advice in a conversational style. It is a supportive dialogue between two professionals passionate about patient autonomy and safety. This episode would greatly interest expecting parents, birth doulas, and anyone involved in childbirth education seeking to understand legal rights and risk prevention. Listeners looking for a purely medical or clinical discussion of childbirth without a focus on legal advocacy might find it less aligned with their interests.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Pregnancy to Parenting Show with Elizabeth Joy