Healthcare and Advocacy

A few months ago, Julia made a comment to me about advocating on her behalf during labour. I was confused. Don’t we heed the advice of the physicians in the room and do what they tell us? They are the experts, after all. Afterwards, and mostly thanks to our participation in a “birth and babies” class run by Alberta Health, I was educated on the various decisions that typically occur during labour and how a partner’s advocacy on behalf of the birthing parent is critical. The birthing parent is so consumed by labour they may not be able to advocate for themselves.

Our own labour experience involved a few decisions, which served as an important reminder that despite best intentions, deep expertise, and a desire to help, medical practitioners are no different than those in any other profession: they have their own biases, preferences, and opinions. Not to suggest that is a bad thing, but to acknowledge it as a reality. And decisions in healthcare can certainly be judgement based, involving a degree of subjectivity.

If I reflect on my own interactions with healthcare professionals over the years, I believe I’ve generally taken a “passenger” approach and deferred to the authority of the professional I’ve seen. And I’m not sure that’s always been the best approach. I intend to take a more assertive approach in the future. No one is as incentivized or motivated to advocate on your behalf than yourself, including your physician, which is why it’s critical to advocate for yourself.


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