A Utah mother shared her “traumatic” experience of being in labor for more than a month after being denied medical care due to her state’s abortion laws.
Shelby Gambrell says she went to the hospital seven times on the advice of her healthcare team because of the severe pain of contractions.
But doctors refused to induce her, saying Utah law prohibits induction unless a woman is 39 weeks pregnant (if she is full term) unless there is a life-threatening condition.
Gambrell had contractions every four to six minutes until her daughter was born just over a month later.
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Gambrell eventually gave birth in April 2022. Her daughter weighed seven pounds, 14 ounces.
“Her nails were incredibly long and she was covered all over her body,” she explained.
“They told me a long time ago that this baby was ready to be born.”
Under Utah law, abortion is illegal after 18 weeks of pregnancy. A doctor may not induce pregnancy before the mother is at full term (39 weeks), as this is considered inducing an abortion.
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the state is currently in litigation over a nearly complete abortion law.
According to the State Council, practitioners who violate the abortion law will be found guilty of “performing or inducing an abortion.” abortion law.
Gambrell’s nightmare began on March 16, 2022 when she began to feel contractions and went to to the hospital on the advice of her midwife.
And the Utah mom recently shared her birth story.
Speaking in a TikTok videoGambrell said: ‘I started having regular contractions.
“I’ve had a baby before and I had Braxton Hicks before. These were contractions.”
After 72 hours of pain, she went to the hospital, where the doctors also confirmed that she was in labor.
“But because there was no progress, they couldn’t do anything,” Gambrell explained.
During her first pregnancy, Gambrell discovered that her body contained an excessive amount of amniotic fluid, a fluid that surrounds and protects the developing fetus.
In 2022, she experienced the same thing: the baby could not move to the cervix and Gambrell could not dilate.
When cervix dilates, a woman’s cervix begins to widen, allowing the baby to move into the birth canal.
The cervix should be at least 10 centimeters wide, more than three times as big as it is when there are no contractions. This can take 12 to even 20 hours, but some women have lasted longer.
Gambrell said the only option for giving birth at age 34 was to have her waters broken.
‘I’ve been sent home without my baby seven times. I’ve never been [to the hospital] “I was always sent to the hospital on my own initiative for pain management,” Gambrell continued.
‘I was given morphine six times. One time I chose not to do it because I didn’t like how…’
Gambrell stopped in the middle of her statement, nearly in tears, and turned off the camera.
In Utah, doctors are not allowed to induce labor until the mother is 39 weeks pregnant, unless her life or that of the baby is in danger.
She came back and explained that the reason for the refusal was that her daughter had stopped moving when she had taken morphine the last time.
“My midwife checked my waters three times, but then she stopped checking them because nothing happened,” the mother said.
Sometimes the procedure can help induce labor by separating the amniotic sac from the cervix.
The procedure is performed by a midwife or doctor who inserts a finger into the cervix and uses circular motions to separate the membranes.
Research has shown that 86 percent of women who went into labor after the process needed no more than two sweeps. Only 14 percent needed more.
Gambrell continued to explain that she and her husband begged doctors for a reason why she had to stay pregnant for the full 39 weeks if she was in so much pain from contractions.
“They couldn’t do it. There was no reason,” she said, explaining that contraptions took place every four to six minutes for 34 days.
Gambrell said she is passionate about reproductive rights because “it’s none of my business what anyone else does,” but also because of what she went through two years ago.
“My issue was not a legal issue. My issue was a medical issue and my medical professional could not take the necessary steps because of the laws on the books.
“My care was not tailored to me. It was tailored to the idea of what equals a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy. I will never get pregnant again.
“My therapist told me I can use the word ‘trauma.’ This was a traumatic event.”