“Imagine if the maternity care system in our country actually treated all women, regardless of age, race, ability, lifestyle choices, appearance or financial status, with respect and dignity... What if care providers validated our emotions and feelings during one of the vulnerable times in our lives? What different stories we would have to tell... At the age of 19 and without a partner by my side, I didn’t have the strength or knowledge to know I had choices. I felt weak and fearful. The hospital staff – including the female doctor who had given birth herself just two months prior – did not give me a chance. They backed me into a corner and used the fears I had expressed to manipulate me into agreeing to their unnecessary interventions. Eight years later, I still do not feel like I consented at all – and to this day, the negative, traumatic effects linger.” - Laney, Denver CO