It shouldn’t be controversial to make your own healthcare decisions!!
Informed consent has become a buzz word for no good reason.
Information. We ought to be able to access information about the products we’re using, the consumer choices we’re making, where we spend our money, and what we choose to put in and on our bodies.
We can’t make a decision without information.
Consent. The ability to make one’s own decision – to say yes, no, or let’s wait – about something that someone else wants to give or do to them.
When it comes to informed consent, I personally follow 2 rules:
- Ask all the questions.
- Don’t make quick decisions.
I hesitate.
About everything.
If I don’t feel 100% peaceful about something, I don’t do it. You’ll hear my shocking realization about where that response may have been birthed in this interview as I figure it out myself while talking with Alexandra.
Hesitancy.
There’s another word that should be positive or neutral unless you’re a military operative or an ER doc, where seconds matter.
Somehow hesitancy has become associated with ignorance, when it’s by far the opposite.
Today you’ll get to learn from an interview guest who has done the research and uses only .gov citations for what she teaches.
We’re going to open up some questions that need to be asked, open up your level of awareness, and open up the inserts so that you can learn:
- why parents sometimes allow their “spidey-sense” or parental intuition to be dulled
- how often diagnoses are incorrect currently in America (spoiler: it’s higher than 5%…higher than 10%…how high does it go???)
- how drastically trust in medical providers has dropped in the last 5 years
- a new technique doctors are learning: “presumptive delivery strategy” and what that means for you…
- …as a consumer. An important reminder that you are a consumer of your own healthcare!
- where some of your tax dollars go that you might not realize
- why doctors aren’t really at fault here and what you as a parent can do to begin to make changes
Alexandra is the real deal, so knowledgeable and so generous with her knowledge. You’ll hear her talk about a course she has on her website to help you develop the skill of researching product inserts, and not only is it free, but you DON’T even have to put in your email address!
Huge thanks to Alexandra for all her research and for sharing it with us. Visit her at justtheinserts.com.
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No time for the video? Here are the notes!
Time Stamps for Informed Consent for Parents
3:20 Alexandra was an anonymous voice behind her page and social media until recently, so now she’s doing the podcast circle! She loves speaking to parents especially.
Turn expert advice into a handbook you can actually use.
I’ve interviewed hundreds of incredible experts on the Healthy Parenting Handbook podcast! Out of time to listen? You can skim on your phone!
These one-page summaries give you the highlights of every episode fast, so you can find what you need when you need it (and nothing to download).
4:08 Alexandra shares a bit of her story about getting out of the military, revamping her health, and becoming a mom.
What Informed Consent Really Means for Parents
5:52 On her site, Alexandra takes information from .gov sites like the CDC, FDA, and NIH and boils them down to plain language for people.
“Each time that I had a child, it made me realize how important it is for us to know the products we’re accepting, and to have the knowledge and confidence in whatever we decide to do.” – Alexandra of Just the Inserts
9:14 We go over the definition of informed consent and Alexandra mentions the free course on her website to help you learn how to make informed decisions.
9:58 Alexandra talks about adverse reactions and how to research them fully before making a decision about taking a product.
11:19 I tell a story about getting some pushback about our decision to get my teen’s wisdom teeth taken out, and why I felt like I was informed and made the right decision.
13:27 Everything Alexandra has created is something she needed as a mom doing research! She wants to take the guilt and fear out of being our kids’ stewards when it comes to their medical decisions and instead help us be informed and confident.
14:53 “Healthcare is a service!” When you are seeking healthcare from a provider, we can respect their experience and expertise but also understand that it’s a business. (We certainly want to keep our kids from experiencing medical trauma!)
“You have the right as a consumer to get a second opinion on a diagnosis.” – Alexandra of Just the Inserts
Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.
Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)
17:09 Because average pediatric appointments are only 10 minutes long (!), you may need to do your research ahead of time. See what Alexandra recommends to do beforehand here.
18:02 Learn a little bit about Alexandra’s book Well Considered, which is available only in the Just the Inserts shop.
20:59 We touch on going beyond the inserts to financial conflicts of interest and historical context.
When Doctors Bully … and Why Being Hesitant Can Help
23:50 How do we deal with medical bullying or gaslighting?
25:55 Have you ever heard of the “presumptive delivery strategy”? It’s meant to decrease hesitancy … and it scares me. You are allowed to ask ALL the questions you want!
27:29 Here Alexandra shares more about her story and making the decisions on vaccines for her newborn daughter. There is a vast different between a pediatrician who scolds you and one who will collaborate on the best solution for your specific child and family.
31:05 Alexandra has a lot of grace for the medical community given the holes in what they are taught. Many don’t even know inserts exist. It’s both a failure of medical education and of the general population who needs to know how to self-educate.
“There’s definitely a failure of public education. We have so much information available to us that we aren’t told about.” – Alexandra of Just the Inserts
Simple Steps Parents Can Take for Informed Decisions
34:30 The first chapter of Alexandra’s book is available online for free, and she also has a provider directory for members of her site. You might check out Direct Primary Care as an option as well.
38:01 Is there a way to demand transparency from pharmaceutical companies?
“I just want my kids to eat what I make!”
This free 5-day challenge was made for you.
Spend just 30 minutes a day learning practical strategies that reduce mealtime battles and help kids build confidence with food.
41:18 Alexandra isn’t just discussing vaccines on her site – she goes into opioids, weight loss drugs, and so much more.
43:47 Some parents even use the Just the Inserts course for their homeschoolers! We want to raise informed adults, and now is the time to do that.
“By the time you’re pregnant, it’s almost too late to start researching! People need to learn about informed consent now.” – Alexandra of Just the Inserts
46:21 My kids have seen me research things to death, but do they know how to research, even the 17- and 20-year-old? I need to teach them how – maybe with this course.
Resources We Mention about Informed Consent for Parents
- Is medical trauma affecting your health?
- What is medical gaslighting, and what can you do about it?
- Understanding direct primary care, a patient-centered approach
- Visit Alexandra’s website, Just the Inserts and look into the free course (with audio available in English and Spanish) here.
- Grab her book Well Considered at the Just the Inserts shop or read the first chapter for free
- Follow Alexandra on social media: @justtheinserts or @justthealternatives on Instagram, or @justtheinserts on X.
Alexandra is the founder of Just the Inserts, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals with accessible, transparent information about medical choices. With a solid research background and a passion for informed consent, she guides people through the complexities of pharmaceutical products and decisions. Her commitment to clear, reliable information has earned her recognition as a trusted voice in the community, helping countless individuals make more informed, confident healthcare decisions.
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