While I was 39 weeks pregnant, my toddler and I were in a horrible car accident and were rushed to the closest Trauma Center, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. Unfortunately, I would have been in better hands giving birth along side the road, with untrained bystanders, than at the hands of Dr. Valencia Stephens. From the second I was wheeled into HER Trauma Bay, until she left my delivery room, I was victimized, assaulted, and treated with total disregard to my health, safety, and mental well being.
The complete story is extremely long and detailed, but I will happily share it with anyone who asks. In the meantime, if I can help just one woman choose a different OB and a different hospital, then sharing my own personal nightmare will be worth it.
The highlights:
The amount of time that passed between an airbag and seat belt impacting my belly and when an ultrasound was finally performed was grossly unacceptable. No one could tell me if my baby was OK. Lab work came back before an ultrasound was even performed. Dr. Stephens was cold and lacked empathy.
My antepartum nurse Julie was the epitome of how nurses should treat their patients and a rarity at Banner Thunderbird. She performed the ONLY cervical check I consented to.
In my birthing suite, I reiterated to every nurse and to Dr. Stephens that I DID NOT consent to any internal exams, but did consent to visual checks to monitor for placental abruption.
I would have written it on the dry erase board, but there was only a sticky note on the wall indicating where one should be placed. This is when Dr. Stephens went from a complete lack of empathy to seeming quite annoyed that she even has to be present for the birth of my child.
She demand I lay on my back which is not an ideal position for childbirth, threatened the fact she may not be able to "catch the baby" and asked if I was "OK with letting him drop 14 inches to the bed". Mind you, birthing on hands and knees is the most common position in the world to deliver in.
I asked multiple times for a new doctor but was refused. But hey, she doesn't get paid if someone else comes in.
While Dr. Stephens sat 3 feet from me, offering no emotional support, only criticism and threats, she stated I needed to be taken back for an emergency cesarean. Thankfully I'm well versed in the symptoms of a placental abruption and with verification from the nurses that neither the vitals of my baby or myself had changed, and I wasn't experiencing any bleeding, I told her no, so she let out a deep sigh and sat back down.
Within moments, she stood up and quickly inserted half her hand into my vagina and performed a cervical check. I screamed repeatedly out of both pain and terror, demanding her to stop touching me. She did not. My husband yelled for her to stop, he yelled for others to make her stop. I believe she was trying to force bleeding to confirm her lie of a placental abruption and she liked the power she had over me.
She stole my power, she stole my voice, she stole my rights, and she violated me against my will. By definition, she committed medical rape. I instantly became her victim. I laid there, on my belly crying, trying to quickly erase the horror of what just happened to me. At no point, did a nurse speak up. She still wouldn't leave the room.
Like most, I pooped during transition. But, instead of a quick clean up. She refused and wouldn't allow any of the nurses to clean up after me. I could feel it, I could smell it, and despite me asking multiple times for help, I was informed that it will be cleaned up after I deliver, not during. It was unsanitary and inhumane.
When the baby started to crown, the most painful part of labor, I was once again assaulted by Dr. Stephens when she placed BOTH HANDS inside of my vagina .My husband and I again screamed repeatedly for her to stop.
I said no, and NO MEANS NO, even if you are my doctor.
I went through Hell and couldn't even hold my baby because she couldn't be bothered to clean up the area beneath me or allow anyone else to do it. This continued until after I delivered my placenta which had its own set of issues.
We told every single nurse and doctor who was in charge of my care what happened, I wrote to Banner Thunderbird and the practice Dr. Stephens works for, West Valley Women's Care. I did receive a call from a very sweet lady from patient relations and a generic letter stating they are sorry my expectations weren't met. Of course they weren't met, your doctor assaulted me and I didn't even get a real apology.
I've heard nothing from her medical practice.
Don't deliver at Banner Thunderbird.
Don't become a patient of West Valley Women's Care.
And most importantly, don't entrust your life and your child's life to Dr. Valencia Stephens. read more