1.

Background
1.1. not married, son's mother not into freedom information at all, several compromises had
to be made
1.2. we agreed on no vaccines, but I couldn't get her to budge on a doing home birth
1.3. he was breech so c-section was really the only option anyway
1.4. I warned her they would be sneaky in getting her to sign paperwork. Just don't sign
anything unless we both read it first.
1.5. My goal was to get him out of there with no type of registration at all:
a) no birth certificate
b) no social security number
c) no name
d) and the placenta
2. go in for c section
2.1. I was allowed to be in the operating room on the condition that I sit in a chair behind his
mother’s head.
2.2. I was actually reprimanded a couple times for standing up
2.3. Made last minute request for placenta while she was under the knife. Just got someone’s
attention and told them we'd like to keep that as it was being removed.
2.4. Everyone is healthy after surgery
3. go to recovery room
3.1. get settled in
3.2. I run home to shower and grab food. Not gone for more than 45 minutes.
3.3. In that time they approached her about vaccines and gave her a packet of paperwork that
included
a) a request for birth certificate,
b) a birth certificate worksheet
c) request for social security number
d) commemorative birth certificate
3.4. ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS ALREADY FILLED IN!
a) All they needed was her signature. The options were already selected, and signed by a
witness.
3.5. she told them we would be foregoing vaccinations at that time as well
a) they never brought up vaccines again for the rest of the time we were in the hospital
4. first night with baby
4.1. just the 3 of us all night
4.2. nurses coming in every hour or more
4.3. they make the first request for the birth certificate packet around 2 in the morning
a) at that point I'd been up for 48 hours
b) mom tells them we haven't gone over the paperwork yet
c) no problem
4.4. they make another request for the paper at around 5 in the morning
a) same response, we haven't looked at it yet
b) no problem
5. Day after first night
a) family coming and going
b) nurses coming and going
5.2. every couple hours they would ask for the birth certificate packet
 a) I didn't want to give them the outright decline until they had been cleared for discharge
5.3. Head nurse comes and checks them and says everything was good. That now they are
just waiting for the doctor to sign the discharge papers then we would be able to leave
5.4. Makes another request for the BC packet.
5.5. I say “yes of course. We'll look over and sign them right now.”
5.6. Nurse says she will bring in another staff member to collect the paperwork
6. A Tech comes in. Very excited that she heard we are cleared to go home. Swoons over baby for
a bit.
6.1. Then, matter of factly, no big deal, informs us that since we are not married “dad will
need to sign this declaration of paternity”
6.2. made it seem like just a minor formality but also such a great BENEFIT to me
7. “We decided we aren't going to be needing a Birth Certificate”
7.1. This is where it started to get creepy
7.2. The woman blinked a couple times and couldn’t come up with coherent response. just to
the effect of “okay, yes no problem, uh yeah I'll just let the birth certificate clerk know”
7.3. Then she checks a couple things on my son's mother, then she remembers her task was
to get the signed papers from us.
a) She says now “ok I’m going to check because I'm not sure if you are allowed to not sign
those papers. So actually let me go check about that for you.”
8. A doctor comes in 20 minutes later
8.1. pretends to check on mom then “hey...I heard you guys had some questions about the
birth certificate form...something you guys didn't understand.”
8.2. “no we just decided to get him a Birth Certificate on our own.”
8.3. doctor says “okay...I'm not sure if you will be able to do that. Something something. Let
me just go check on that for you guys. I think you guys might have to sign it.”
a) THIS FROM A PHYSICIAN
b) I hadn't seen him before but he says he was in on the surgery.
9. Now the head RN who had seen us the most often came in.
9.1. Does the quick checks.
9.2. Then “so what is the deal. Are you guys not wanting a birth certificate for baby?”
9.3. “we are planning to get one on our own”
9.4. “okay. I’m pretty sure you guys will be able to do that, however, and I don't know your
guys’ situation, but I think if you do that on your own it is very very expensive. I'm not sure
how much, something like $500 I believe. So are you sure? It is free just to do it here.
9.5. Politely decline
9.6. ok. I will have to send in the Birth Certificate Clerk.
10.Birth Certificate Clerk shows up
10.1. bubbly, says it is her understanding that we are declining to sign the birth certificate or
get the baby a ssn.
10.2. We affirm that that is the case.
10.3. Now she says. “okay perfect. That’s not a problem at all. I will leave all the boxes blank,
no personal information.”
a) fully aware of our right to decline to sign these documents.
b) She puts on a performance. Trying all types of emotional manipulation to get us to
reconsider.
c) She was referred to as the Birth Certificate Clerk. Didn't know this position existed. But
I feel that needs more research.
 d) VERY CLEARLY SHE HAD A DEEP VESTED INTEREST IN HAVING US SIGN.
e) She eventually accepts that we will not sign for the Birth Certificate or ssn and totally
cool casual says we just need you to sign that you received the Commemorative Birth
Certificate.
11.COMMEMORATIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATE
a) This document had my son's wet ink footprints on them along with his birth stats.
b) It does not look official. It's not on bond paper.
c) Attached to this “commemorative” birth certificate was a form to be signed
The signature was to CERTIFY that we had received a copy of his footprints
There is statute cited on the form, however, the section code was incorrect.
d) Did a search of the entire California legislative code for the word 'footprint'
read the correct statute and to no surprise at all there is no requirement that the
footprints need to be signed for. Only that the footprints shall be provided to parents
upon request.
12.Tell the birth certificate clerk that we won't be signing for a “Commemorative Birth Certificate”
a) Instantly, her face became beet red
b) She could barely get it out “You...You don't want your baby's footprints?!?!”
c) “No thanks. I think we can do that at home as well”
d) Her look was priceless. Disgust, shock, embarrassment, I could tell that they now knew
that I knew the game.
e) I never had to drop chapter and verse on these agents but polite refusal on account of
feigned ignorance just could not be beat.
13.BC Clerk gathers herself and says okay, no problem, I just have to take all these papers back
since you won't be signing them
a) I don't object as I had already made copies of everything
b) This is when I did some research on the statute that was cited for the release of the
COMMEMORATIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATE
c) Its short and reads “shall be provided” with no mention of any requirement other than a
request.
d) went straight to the nurses station.
e) “hi, we actually changed our mind and are now thinking of keeping the footprints. May
we see them again.”
f) The nurse pulled them off another desk and no kidding, tears off the top white page of
the duplicate signature form. Gives me just the yellow copy underneath attached to the
Commemorative Birth Certificate to sign.
14.Our Final Refusal
a) I ask what I is this paper I'm being asked to sign
b) She says it’s just to certify that we received the footprints.
c) I say “alright, because I couldn't find the law as it's cited here and the only law on baby
footprints says we have to be provided with them”
d) She says yeah that law right there and underlines it in pen for me on the signature form
“Pursuant to Assembly Bill no. 2167, Section 10101.5 of the Health and Safety
Code”(CA)
e) “right. So I read the correct statute and it doesn't require me to sign anything in order to
take these with me so...(this where I calmly tear off the signature page in front of the 5
wide eyed nurses)...I appreciate it but I'm just going to take these with me and I won't be
signing anything.”
15.THEY HAD ONE MORE TRICK
15.1. So we're all set to leave, packing up the room and I step out to go pull the car to the
front for mom and baby
15.2. As I'm walking back up to the room, 2 of the nurses are walking out of the room,
giggling with themselves
a) “oh we thought you left to the car already”
b) No
c) Get back in the room and right away ask mom “What did they say to you right now?”
d) She says “What did you say to them up at the station? They came in here right now and
asked if I felt safe, was I being forced into anything? Did I feel threatened? Do I need
them to call someone to protect me from you?”
e) And then I thanked God...I had already accomplished everything I expected from the
hospital visit. I know the real dirty moves only come when the game is already over for
them. So we just wheeled out and left.

No Birth Certificate
No Social Security Number
No Vaccines
No name registered with the hospital
We have the placenta too.

Just stand on your square.

Peace.