The practitioner at delivery thing is what bothers me the most, and we’re going with a doula to make up the difference. Fortunately, we can afford the expense out of pocket, but it’s the best of both world’s for us.

Agreed.

This is a really good point. The doula I’m leaning toward using also gives birthing classes and her first goal, both as a teacher and doula, is to prepare women and couple’s to be psychologically okay with birthing plans not going perfectly. That’s actually a lot of what drew me to her, especially since any doula is…

The birthing center we had our child at was staffed by two naturopathic doctors and a midwife nurse

Right, the big argument for midwives is that most pregnancies do not require the full-on resource deployment of an ob-gyn delivering in highly equipped setting.

I’m an old lady with a history of miscarriages and so am under waaaaaay more medical care than the average pregnant lady and I have never — not once — been pressured to undergo a procedure, test, or screening I did not want. My doctor has done nothing but explain everything to me fully and has actively avoided telling…

He clearly entered the profession and specialty for his own aggrandizement, not to actually help anyone.

But that’s a cost-benefit analysis of where your resources are better deployed for the well being of a child.

Agreed. There was a shit-ton of mean-girl-ness in this article, especially in that paragraph you pointed out.

In fairness, Gen X is dwarfed by Boomers and Millenials. We had about, mm, five years of cultural ascendancy in the 90s before it was decided we weren’t worth much because of our low numbers.

Do you get short term disability? That’s what “maternity leave” is for most women who have “maternity leave”.

I wonder how much it costs to take out a full page ad in the local paper saying, “We support the victim, not the child rapist.”

People I am bigger, and thus more creative, than:

Narcissism. The answer, as always, is narcissism.

Are you a person who was once an infant? Then you either received or were denied the benefits of parental leave.

The message gets repeated over and over again that when women express needs that inconveniences a man, she’s a selfish harpy.

Don’t you know? Childless women and girls are inherently vapid. Soulless, some would say. /s

I agree with that, but that still qualifies as an ultimatum for a lot of people.

Just... tell him it’s time. It’s been seven years, you’re not going anywhere, and unless he’s planning on going somewhere, it’s time to do this thing that’s really important to you.