Lee Franzen

It was one of those things. I was just part of the culture. I thought to myself, well, what's the point of me being so fastidious if no one else is? I found out that was not the only thing that was happening at that birth center. That was not legal. We were allowed to start IVs, but there were things going into those IVs that shouldn't have been going in there according to the law.

Sometimes we would give someone an herbal supplement, and I'm putting herbal supplements in quotes because it wasn't actually an herbal supplement. It was Cytotec, which is a medication that's used to induce labor. But she was not being informed that she was given Cytotec.

Sometimes we would give someone an herbal supplement, and I'm putting herbal supplements in quotes because it wasn't actually an herbal supplement. It was Cytotec, which is a medication that's used to induce labor. But she was not being informed that she was given Cytotec.

Sometimes we would give someone an herbal supplement, and I'm putting herbal supplements in quotes because it wasn't actually an herbal supplement. It was Cytotec, which is a medication that's used to induce labor. But she was not being informed that she was given Cytotec.

There were women that were being told that evening primrose oil was being inserted vaginally when in fact the midwife was inserting Cytotec. The midwives would crush up Cytotec and put it in their tea and say, I'm giving you some herbal tea to help you get some more energy. I don't know how often it happened, but it happened.

There were women that were being told that evening primrose oil was being inserted vaginally when in fact the midwife was inserting Cytotec. The midwives would crush up Cytotec and put it in their tea and say, I'm giving you some herbal tea to help you get some more energy. I don't know how often it happened, but it happened.

There were women that were being told that evening primrose oil was being inserted vaginally when in fact the midwife was inserting Cytotec. The midwives would crush up Cytotec and put it in their tea and say, I'm giving you some herbal tea to help you get some more energy. I don't know how often it happened, but it happened.

I witnessed it a few times myself, and I know it happened other times as well. I wasn't happy about that. I remember I had to get myself to calm down and tell myself, you're so close to graduating. You're almost done here. Just put your head down. Keep doing what you need to do to graduate. And when you leave here, you can do things better. You can make sure that people have informed consent.

I witnessed it a few times myself, and I know it happened other times as well. I wasn't happy about that. I remember I had to get myself to calm down and tell myself, you're so close to graduating. You're almost done here. Just put your head down. Keep doing what you need to do to graduate. And when you leave here, you can do things better. You can make sure that people have informed consent.

I witnessed it a few times myself, and I know it happened other times as well. I wasn't happy about that. I remember I had to get myself to calm down and tell myself, you're so close to graduating. You're almost done here. Just put your head down. Keep doing what you need to do to graduate. And when you leave here, you can do things better. You can make sure that people have informed consent.

I just kind of hung on to that. And I did what I had to do to graduate and get out of there. I was in the school for three years. In that time, I managed 50 births and I attended 75 more. When I say managed, I had caught 50 babies, as we say, and it felt like an impressive number. Everyone I told seemed to think, oh, wow, that's a lot.

I just kind of hung on to that. And I did what I had to do to graduate and get out of there. I was in the school for three years. In that time, I managed 50 births and I attended 75 more. When I say managed, I had caught 50 babies, as we say, and it felt like an impressive number. Everyone I told seemed to think, oh, wow, that's a lot.

I just kind of hung on to that. And I did what I had to do to graduate and get out of there. I was in the school for three years. In that time, I managed 50 births and I attended 75 more. When I say managed, I had caught 50 babies, as we say, and it felt like an impressive number. Everyone I told seemed to think, oh, wow, that's a lot.

So I felt pretty well prepared to get out there and start being a midwife.

So I felt pretty well prepared to get out there and start being a midwife.

So I felt pretty well prepared to get out there and start being a midwife.

Insurance was paying us well. People were paying us a lot of cash. There was never an issue.

Insurance was paying us well. People were paying us a lot of cash. There was never an issue.

Insurance was paying us well. People were paying us a lot of cash. There was never an issue.

There was no requirement for malpractice insurance for a licensed midwife. As a birth center, we were required to have what was called professional liability insurance. I remember that we were concerned that this would be really expensive. It was not very expensive. It was definitely not cost prohibitive.