• Video court hearing held inside hospital room to decide delivery method during advanced labor
• Emergency C-section performed after fetal heart rate dropped prior to birth

A woman in the U.S. state of Florida has recently spoken out about a childbirth experience she described as highly unusual, after her hospital bed was effectively turned into a virtual courtroom during advanced labor in an incident dating back to September 2024.

Cherise Doyley, a mother of three, said she was surprised in the hospital when a tablet device was brought in to connect her to a judge, doctors, lawyers, and officials, to resolve a medical dispute over the delivery method while she was experiencing labor pain.

The case stemmed from a medical recommendation for an urgent cesarean section, while the woman preferred to continue with a natural delivery, citing previous experiences and recovery difficulties after earlier C-sections.

During a hearing that lasted around three hours, Doyley said she was shocked by the proceedings while in that condition, describing confusion and requesting legal or medical support to understand what was happening.

The court ultimately allowed the natural delivery to continue but granted the hospital authority to intervene surgically if an emergency risk to the fetus arose.

Hours later, doctors proceeded with an emergency C-section after a drop in the baby’s heart rate, and the child was later born in good health, according to medical reports.

In recent comments, Doyley said she still recalls the experience as one of the most difficult moments of her life, due to the overlap of medical decisions and legal proceedings during childbirth.