Karen Gayman Brindle, CNM, MSN

I chose MCA-Frederick as my care provider during my first pregnancy. Friends of mine had positive birth experiences with April and Heather, and I felt cared for and respected during prenatal appointments with them. I was inspired by the MCA Philosophy of Care and the Midwives Model of Care. I assumed that all three MCA-Frederick midwives followed these guidelines. Unfortunately, Karen Brindle was the midwife on call during my delivery. Here are five things you need to know about Karen before you seek care from her:

1) Karen demands that her patients deliver in the lithotomy position.
2) Karen does not follow birth plans.
3) Karen does not follow the MCA Philosophy of Care or the Midwives Model of Care.
4) Karen does not like doulas.
5) Karen is impatient and lacks empathy and social awareness.

BIRTH STORY
I did not have an epidural and my baby was not in distress. After I received IV fluids, the IV was removed and I wanted to walk around. Karen urged me to sit down despite my repeated assertions that I wanted to move and change positions. Karen forced me to push and deliver in the lithotomy position. During pushing, Karen and the two nurses loudly urged me to push harder, stronger, and longer. She held my knees open and instructed the nurses to hold my legs. Throughout pushing, I repeatedly begged, cried, and demanded that I wanted to return to my hands and knees - where I had been laboring successfully for an hour prior. Karen ignored me. As I got closer to crowning I felt a sharp pain in my back and I screamed “I FEEL LIKE I’M BEING STABBED IN THE BACK! I NEED TO GET ON MY HANDS AND KNEES!” Karen did not respond. She ignored me, and only spoke to the nurses. Because Karen forced me to push aggressively and deliver in the lithotomy position, I suffered a fourth degree perineal tear that took a significant amount of time to repair. During the extensive repair (without an epidural) the doctor commented that I had pushed too aggressively.

Karen visited my recovery room on two separate occasions. During both visits, she referred to my private parts tear as “nasty” and blamed me for tearing because I pushed too hard. She said “You’re going to be in a lot of pain - you got a nasty tear,” and “You’ve got yourself a pretty nasty tear,” and “You tore yourself really badly.” Also during each visit to my recovery room, Karen stated that if I were to have more children, she recommended I “deliver on hands and knees because the scar tissue will never be as strong as the original tissue.” The second time Karen said this, my husband responded, “She told you she wanted to get on her hands and knees.” Karen shrugged and left the room.

Karen Brindle masquerades as a midwife: she adheres to the medical model of maternity care, she does not believe in informed consent, and she does not respect her patients or their bodies. Karen Brindle violated my basic rights to dignity and bodily autonomy. I did not schedule a postpartum appointment with MCA, and no one from MCA contacted me until 3 months later, after they became aware that I filed a complaint against Karen. If you are looking for regular well-woman care, I do recommend April or Heather. However, if you go to MCA-Frederick for prenatal care, there is a 1 in 3 chance you could end up with Karen Brindle, and your wellbeing is not worth the risk.