Inside the System:
A Radical Guide to Sovereign Birth
Inside the System:
A Radical Guide to Sovereign Hospital Birth
Where science and sacred meet
If you are birthing in a hospital, this book is not here to convince you to fight the system.
It’s here to help you understand it — so you can move through it with clarity, presence, and power.
Most hospital births don’t derail because something goes wrong.
They derail because people don’t understand how the system actually works.
This guide changes that.
This Book Is For You If…
You are planning a hospital birth and want to stay in your body, not on defense
You don’t want dogma — you want discernment
You’ve been told to “trust the system,” but something in you wants to understand it
You want real, practical tools — not just reassurance
You believe birth can be both medical and meaningful
This is not a birth plan template.
It’s a field guide.
What Makes Inside the System Different
This book was written by someone who has lived on both sides of the curtain.
I spent years working inside the hospital system as a labor & delivery nurse.
I learned the protocols. I memorized the algorithms. I watched how decisions are actually made.
Then I left — not because I was burned out, but because I was awake.
This guide names the things no one explains out loud:
how consent actually unfolds
how time becomes pressure
how language gets translated into charting
how monitoring escalates care
how power shifts under stress
how nervous systems lead rooms
Not to scare you.
To orient you.
If you find yourself wanting more explanation, nuance, or practical guidance as you move through this material, the Inside the System masterclass may be a helpful next step. It’s designed to offer deeper orientation to how the hospital system works and how to navigate medical conversations with clarity. You can scroll below to explore the masterclass when you’re ready.
What You’ll Learn Inside the Full Book
How to recognize when consent is assumed rather than requested
Why “slow” labor is often normal — and why the system struggles to wait
How certain words activate protocols and change how you’re treated
How partners and support people influence the room more than they realize
Why monitoring often escalates intervention even when outcomes don’t improve
How to stay sovereign when plans change
How to use silence, presence, and regulation as real tools
How to bring ritual and meaning into a medical space
Each chapter includes:
clear explanation
Inside the System: CliffsNotes
(the must know for birthing in hospital)
grounding checklists
reflection questions
simple rituals for nervous system support
Ready to Go Deeper?
Get the Full Book
When you purchase the full book, you’ll receive:
Immediate access to the complete guide
All 13 Moons + Integration + Afterword
Printable checklists and reflection tool
ADD ON: The Masterclass
Inside the System is an educational masterclass designed to help you understand how the hospital birth system actually works. Rather than telling you what choices to make, this class offers context, language, and perspective so you can navigate medical conversations with clarity, confidence, and self-trust. When you understand how the system functions, pressure loses its power and decision-making becomes calmer and more grounded.
In this masterclass, you’ll learn:
• How hospitals are structured and why protocols exist
• What physicians are trained to prioritize and how risk is framed
• The difference between hospital policy, medical recommendation, and true requirement
• Why consent conversations can feel rushed or coercive
• How language influences decision-making during labor
• Ways to stay regulated and oriented when stakes feel high
• How to advocate for yourself without becoming defensive or overwhelmed
This class is for anyone who wants to move through hospital birth with steadiness, discernment, and confidence instead of fear or confusion.
Add this masterclass on NOW for $11 at time of purchase
book a pay-what-you-can call
Two+ hours of deep, spacious conversation where we untangle fears, build a birth plan that feels like you, sort through medical recommendations (yes, including that induction), and create the clarity your nervous system is craving.
add the masterclass
Inside the System
How the Hospital Actually Works So You Can Make Birth Decisions From Clarity, Not Pressure
You don’t need more opinions.
You need context.
Most people don’t struggle in the hospital because they made “bad choices.”
They struggle because no one ever explained how the system itself is designed to function.
This masterclass pulls back the curtain.
Not to scare you.
Not to villainize doctors or glorify alternatives.
But to help you understand the landscape you’re moving through so you can choose your next steps with steadiness and self-trust.
This Masterclass Is For You If…
• You’re planning a hospital birth and want to stay oriented and empowered
• You’re considering alternatives and want to understand what you’re opting in or out of
• You’ve been told “this is just how it’s done” and something in you feels unconvinced
• You want to advocate for yourself without becoming combative or overwhelmed
• You’ve felt frozen, pressured, or confused during medical conversations in the past
This is especially for people who want less fear and more discernment.
What This Class Actually Covers
This is not birth prep in the traditional sense.
This is systems literacy for birth.
Inside the masterclass, we explore:
• How hospitals are structured and why protocols exist
• What physicians are trained to prioritize and what they are not
• How risk is defined, measured, and managed inside the system
• Why consent conversations often feel rushed or coercive
• How language shapes decision-making in moments of pressure
• The difference between policy, recommendation, and requirement
• How to stay regulated and clear when stakes feel high
Nothing here is about convincing you to birth a certain way.
Everything here is about helping you see clearly.
Why This Matters
When you understand the system, fear loses its grip.
You stop outsourcing your intuition.
You stop second-guessing every instinct.
You stop feeling like you’re “doing it wrong” because your desires don’t match the script.
Clarity changes everything.
Who This Is Taught By
I’m Joni Edelman.
I spent years inside the hospital system as a labor and delivery nurse.
I’ve supported hundreds of births as a doula.
I’ve trained in midwifery and walked away from roles that asked me to override consent.
I’ve seen the system from the inside and the outside.
This class exists because too many people are being asked to make life-altering decisions without ever being given the full picture.
Important Notes
This masterclass is educational, not medical advice.
I don’t tell you what choices to make.
I help you understand the terrain so you can make your own.
Take what resonates.
Leave what doesn’t.
Trust yourself.
What You’ll Receive
• Immediate access to the Inside the System masterclass
• Lifetime access so you can return as your pregnancy unfolds
• Language, context, and perspective you can revisit as decisions arise
If You’re Ready
If you’re done feeling rushed.
If you’re done feeling talked over.
If you’re ready to meet birth decisions with calm, clarity, and confidence—
This class is here for you.