'Respect my choices': mum denied C-section despite sexual abuse history

Ms Flint, a registered nurse, was concerned from the start of her pregnancy that trauma could re-emerge during birth.

"I had a history of childhood sexual abuse. I'd already done therapy my entire life to recover from that," she said.

Ms Flint's son Taiden was born in August last year at a NSW hospital, which she decided not to name.

"I've come to a place in my healing journey that I'm not trying to blame doctors," she said.

"They're overworked and struggling. This is a bigger picture issue."

During pregnancy, she disclosed her history of child sexual assault, PTSD and anxiety.

Around the 30-week mark, she contacted the hospital and had "correspondence for a few weeks with the social worker on the maternity ward".

"Together we made my birth plan, so it was in the system and everybody was on the same page.

"It was in writing that I wanted a natural, calm birth.

"But if intervention was required, I wanted a C-section over a forceps delivery to avoid being re-traumatised."

Her birth plan highlighted that she had a "good understanding of prior trauma increasing the risk of birth trauma and complications".

"Please respect my choices. Trust my judgement," the plan said.

In the plan, her history of child sexual assault was noted in bold type, "so everyone was on the same page".

When the birth happened, she said there were "emergency interventions".

"Throughout my labour, there were documented signs of fetal distress," she said.

"Midwives raised concerns multiple times, suggesting obstetric review and a potential C-section."

Ms Flint said the obstetrician told her: "We don't have time for a C-section. I know that's what you want, but we need to get your baby out".

Ms Flint said she suffered "severe obstetric violence from a complicated forceps delivery".

She was later diagnosed with PTSD from birth-related trauma.

"I also sustained serious birth injuries, including severe nerve damage causing drop foot for five months, heavy blood loss, anaemia and an infected episiotomy."

She said these conditions had been "overlooked" after the birth.

"We were discharged after just 36 hours, unseen by any doctor, despite hospital policy.

"Internal investigations were launched after a midwife withheld my prescribed pain relief, telling me 'you shouldn't need this'.

"We were told it was a simple mistake."

She met the hospital's head obstetrician "to figure out what went so wrong with my birth".

"It was disclosed that there probably wasn't even a need for there to be an emergency. There was enough time to do a C-section."

Birth Trauma Australia CEO Amy Dawes said it was "staggering" that Shayne's case happened after the NSW birth trauma inquiry.

"It was preventable trauma. There's really no excuse for it. It's shocking," said Ms Dawes, as she marked Birth Trauma Awareness Week.

The birth trauma inquiry led the NSW government to give maternity care a $45 million boost in last month's state budget.

A NSW Health spokesperson said "more than 90,000 women give birth in NSW each year".

"For many women, this life experience is positive," the spokesperson said.

"However, NSW Health acknowledges that some women experience birth trauma, which may be physical and/or psychological.

"We recognise and are thankful for the courage and strength of the thousands of women who shared their deeply personal and difficult experiences throughout the birth trauma inquiry."

The government was accelerating five initiatives this year in response to the inquiry, to ensure women "receive compassionate, respectful and equitable maternity care".

This included trauma-informed maternity care, improving consent processes in maternity care, and supporting women who experience pregnancy complications.

Mr Dawes said Ms Flint's case showed "postnatal care pathways are not adequately screening women to respond to birth injuries and psychological injuries".

"That's leaving the burden on women and families, while often managing newborns," she said.

Three days after he was born, Taiden was "becoming unresponsive" and turning blue at home.

"After receiving lifesaving first aid from family, he was taken to hospital by intensive care paramedics."

After another critical episode, Taiden was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit.

"I fought for an MRI. The scan revealed a subdural intracranial haemorrhage - a brain bleed linked to his traumatic birth."

Medical documents showed "clinicians downplayed their significance, labelling them as a 'normal forceps bruise'."

Ms Flint said Taiden was now "doing better every day".

"The most painful part was not just the injuries, it was being labelled and dismissed."

On Taiden's discharge summary, "irritable infant" was written.

She said her experience "highlights a widespread failure in maternity and neonatal care".

Preventable birth trauma had been normalised and "mothers' voices sidelined by a system more focused on statistics than safety".

"We're not looking for sympathy. We're looking for change."