Your Birth Your Body: Lessons from the Larissa Gawthrop Case
- larenadoula
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
The news of Larissa Gawthrop being awarded 280,000 dollars in a negligence case has sent ripples through the birth community. It is a sobering story that highlights exactly why I do what I do as a doula.
Larissa was coerced into a vaginal examination (VE) by a midwife who refused to admit her to the hospital or allow her access to pain relief like nitrous oxide and the birth bath until she complied. This happened despite her birth plan clearly stating she refused these examinations unless they were medically urgent.
This case is a stark reminder that the maternity system can sometimes feel overwhelming or disconnected from the individuals it serves. It also brings the vital topic of informed consent into sharp focus.
The Reality of Vaginal Examinations
In many hospital settings, VEs are treated as a routine part of labour assessment, often scheduled every four hours. However, research shows that these examinations do not necessarily improve outcomes for mothers or babies. The obsession with cervical dilation is relatively new in history, largely stemming from the 1950s when averaged out graphs like the Friedman Curve became the standard for the efficiency of the birthing machine.
The truth is that every labour is unique and non linear. A VE is a snapshot in time that cannot predict when your baby will actually arrive. Furthermore, these examinations are not benign procedures. They can be painful, increase the risk of infection, and for some women, lead to or reactivate PTSD.
Knowing Your Rights
As your doula, my role is to help you feel grounded and informed as you move through this system. It is important to remember that hospital policies are not laws. While a midwife might be obligated by her employer to offer an examination, you have the absolute right to decline. To perform a VE without your consent is a breach of professional standards and can even be considered assault.
Consent must be freely given and based on a full understanding of the risks and benefits. If you are told that you cannot have pain relief or be admitted without an examination, as happened in the Gawthrop case, that is not informed consent: it is coercion.
Beyond the Cervix
There are many other ways to assess labour progress that do not involve invasive examinations. Midwives and doulas often look at your behaviour, the way you move, and even physical signs like the purple line that can appear between the buttocks as labour progresses. Your body is complex and immeasurable, and you are the expert on your own experience.
I want you to feel steady and supported as you make the decisions that are right for you. Whether you choose to have examinations or not, that choice should be yours, made without pressure or fear.
Let's Chat!
If you want to feel fully informed and have a calm, practical presence on your side as you navigate your birth journey, I would love to help.
Or, if you are ready to talk about how we can work together to protect your birth rights and preferences, book in a free discovery call with me below.
Larri Whiteway
@larenadoula
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Sources and Further Reading
AusDoc (2026) Patient coerced into vaginal exam while in labour wins 280,000 dollar negligence case.
Reed, R. (2026) Vaginal Examinations: stuck on the cervix.
Wickham, S. (2016) Assessing cervical dilatation without VEs: Watching the purple line.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2018) Effect of partograph use on outcomes for women in spontaneous labour at term and their babies.
Friedman, E. (1955) Primigravid labor: a graphicostatistical analysis.
Hobbs, L. (1998) The purple line: a secondary sign of labour progress.
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