Women are not legally responsible for actions during labor

[keepyourkiltdown]

I have heard, from a few (unreliable) sources, that a woman is not legally responsible for her actions when she is in labor. Is this true? Or simply a joke that I'm not getting...

[Zorro]

I don't know about legally, but during labor, the only thing I was thinking was, "Please, God, let it be over soon. Or let me die. I don't care which."

[Canuckistan]

"I hate my Volvo! I WANT A TRANS AM!"

[Tarquin Farquart]

What illegal things would you be capable of doing whilst in labour?

[damian]

Originally Posted by Tarquin Farquart

What illegal things would you be capable of doing whilst in labour?

My wife bit me on the shoulder, hard enough to draw blood !!!

[Troberg]

My guess: It's not specifically mentioned in any law, but it's probably considered a strong mitigating circumstance.

[Magdalene]

A coworker of mine said his wife had grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the side of her bed.

Once they got him loose, the doctor had him sit elsewhere.

Magdalene

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Tarquin Farquart

What illegal things would you be capable of doing whilst in labour?

The little old lady volunteers who were prepping me for my eventual c-section seemed genuinely frightened of me when I made it clear that yes, after 15 hours of using a bedpan during Pitocin-induced misery, I most certainly was going to use the damn toilet before the pros came back in to catheterize me.

[Four Kitties]

I'm sure "extreme emotional distress" would be a mitigating factor in any potential prosecution.

All you'd need would be one mother on the jury. Just one. Instant jury nullification.

Four Kitties

[AnglRdr]

Originally Posted by Tarquin Farquart

What illegal things would you be capable of doing whilst in labour?

I was in labor for 71 hours. There is a whole host of illegal things I was capable of doing.

[Arriah]

I kept swearing at the nurses. I'm not usually like that but for some reason the Darvocet they gave me just loosened up the vocal cords a bit.

I suppose I should warn DD not to repeat anything she hears me say this time.

[Recklessmess]

Originally Posted by Troberg

My guess: It's not specifically mentioned in any law, but it's probably considered a strong mitigating circumstance.

It would probably be an affirmative defense...

[Magdalene]

My mom reports that while in labor with me, her doctor kept saying, "Just one more push....just one more push..." and she apparently snapped and screamed that he was a mother-NFBSKing liar, it wasn't just one more goddamned push, it was NEVER going to be just one more push and she hated him and wanted him to die and she'd been pushing for TEN YEARS and she was tired of pushing and being lied to and she hoped like hell the baby slapped HIM.....

The doctor joked later it was one of the calmest deliveries he'd ever dealt with.

(And yes, my dad *was* wisely out of the delivery room. He often said he did his time in Vietnam, and that gave him a clear idea of how and when to avoid danger.)

Magdalene

[Ms. K]

While I was in labor, I told my ex-husband to go NFBSK himself, that he was never getting anything from me again, and if he was stupid enough to tell me to push one more time, I was going to remove his testicles from his body.

He tried to calm me down by saying, "Oh, honey, you're just in labor, it'll all be over soon, and you'll have our beautiful baby in your arms!"

Apparently? I said something nasty, and then punched him.

My mom filled me in on this recently.

Totally not my style. If I'm going to resort to physical violence, I'd rather be able to do it at a distance, lol.

[Ana Ng]

I was in labor (not progressing) for many hours and my OB commented many times that I was the politest woman in labor she'd ever treated because I kept thanking her and stuff. I was terrified of making any noise and I was embarrassed to death when my father came in to see me. (Again, I was just sitting up in bed.) I just kept wincing during contractions even though they killed.

I'm really afraid of appearing out of control, so I think that had something to do with it.

Originally Posted by Ana Ng

I was in labor (not progressing) for many hours and my OB commented many times that I was the politest woman in labor she'd ever treated because I kept thanking her and stuff. I was terrified of making any noise and I was embarrassed to death when my father came in to see me. (Again, I was just sitting up in bed.) I just kept wincing during contractions even though they killed.

I'm really afraid of appearing out of control, so I think that had something to do with it.

(And yes, my dad *was* wisely out of the delivery room. He often said he did his time in Vietnam, and that gave him a clear idea of how and when to avoid danger.)

Magdalene

ROFL

I refused to have my husband in the delivery room as I knew I would blame him for everything.

[MapleLeaf]

These stories, among many MANY other factors, are why I will never ever have biological children.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by MapleLeaf

These stories, among many MANY other factors, are why I will never ever have biological children.

I have noticed a trend - whenever a woman becomes pregnant for the first time, it is traditional for other female co-workers who have experienced birth to gather around her and offer her as many horror stories as possible. The winner is the one who has the most horrific tale of labour.

"Well I was I labour for three days. In the end they knocked me out with a mallet to the head, then cut out my uterus with a rusty stanley knife."

Well that's an exaggeration, but, y'know this woman has just shared some happy news with g-you. Try speading some positivity.

[PallasAthena]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

I have noticed a trend - whenever a woman becomes pregnant for the first time, it is traditional for other female co-workers who have experienced birth to gather around her and offer her as many horror stories as possible. The winner is the one who has the most horrific tale of labour.

"Well I was I labour for three days. In the end they knocked me out with a mallet to the head, thn cut out my uterus with a rusty stanley knife."

Well that's an exaggeration, but, y'know this woman has just shared some happy news with g-you. Try speading some positivity.

*applauds* Thank you Eddylizard. I have reached the point in my pregnancy where everyone wants to tell me those horror stories. I don't get scared easily, and I don't have a weak stomach, but I'd rather not hear about g-your 4th degree tear followed by a lecture on why I need to make sure my doctor gives me an episiotomy thank you very much.

The stories about swearing and stuff don't bother me though. This thread has really made me chuckle, although I tend to think I may wind up being more like Ana, and try to make it look like I am keeping my cool.

[kismet]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

I have noticed a trend - whenever a woman becomes pregnant for the first time, it is traditional for other female co-workers who have experienced birth to gather around her and offer her as many horror stories as possible. The winner is the one who has the most horrific tale of labour.

"Well I was I labour for three days. In the end they knocked me out with a mallet to the head, thn cut out my uterus with a rusty stanley knife."

Well that's an exaggeration, but, y'know this woman has just shared some happy news with g-you. Try speading some positivity.

I know. I always feel left out of these conversations because I had an easy delivery and didn't yell at my husband once. I moaned and grunted, but did not scream. And I could not have done anything illegal, I was too focused on the job at hand.

Still, this one-upmanship on hard labors is just the first of many times the newly pregnant woman will be accosted by other women. No decision she ever makes for the rest of eternity will be correct, and there will be someone around to tell her she's a rotten mother for choosing as she did. Selfish, stupid, cold-hearted, pandering, lazy, domineering, indulgent - She might as well start with a trial by fire.