This manual teaches non-clinical advocates—doulas, partners, and family members—how to function lawfully and effectively inside that structure: how to become a legally recognized witness, how to create enforceable directives instead of “birth plans,” how to document and neutralize coercion, and how to ensure every refusal or instruction is filed correctly so it enters the permanent hospital record.

It does not replace legal counsel or medical advice. It shows the correct procedural channels so that informed consent and refusal are honored within the hospital’s own legal framework.