Speaking as an obgyn who trained in an extraordinary diverse set of regions:

This practice has been long abandoned in the United States so much so that just about every obgyn and midwife knows the comeback, “sir, how small do I need to make it for you to fit?”

Where does this practice still happen? Certain geographic parts of the world where women’s rights are largely suppressed and where women are overwhelmingly exposed from the medical profession.

The moment you bring up legal threats with your obgyn, what you can expect is:

1. The possibility of them rightfully dismissing you from their practice as there is an assumed hostile patient-physician relationship which impairs their ability to treat you with an objective and standardized quality of care

2. Increased risk that they and other medical personnel will limit their exposure to you for fear of being implicated into your threats. In lay terms: you will get less contact with the medical team because they are scared of you making them in a law suit

3. Damaged rapport which can have any other number of fallout impacts even if as small as a less amicable relationship

4. Any threat of physical violence will also, often, but you a one way escort by security out of the hospital and ban from L&D and post partum. I have been punched, tackled, but, had patients try to stab me and nurses get that even more than doctors. I don’t screw around with safety and neither should any other medical personnel.

Obgyn cases account for 7 out of the 10 highest lawsuit payouts in US history. We all get sued and it’s often for tongs that are not in or control.

A simple: “please no husband stitch” will get you all the reassurance and care you need, and this can be addressed on your first visit, last visit, or any of the ten months of contract between conception and delivery.