Pretty difficult, I'm finding. Even though I tried to paper over the gap with adjuncting and freelancing, it's still a case where every employer has the choice of a dozen people just as qualified as you who don't have the gap, plus a dozen more who were doing your boss's boss's job five years ago and are now scaling…

I think my post made people feel defensive about episiotomies. I'm genuinely not judging anyone who gets one. That was not in my heart or my head, but I understand how the post reads that way. For the record: this was a story about me and my labor. If you had an episiotomy or if you want an episiotomy in a future…

I've got my list ready to go for as soon as I find one.

-The need for a four-year college degree to do even basic, low-paid service and clerical work and an advanced degree to get into most middle-income fields, resulting in careers begun later in life and yet more debt to pay off.

I'm glad you got the care that was right for you and the care you chose. Since episiotomy was not my choice, I did not want one performed on me without my knowledge or consent. Sadly, this is something that some doctors do to all of their patients, without informing them, as a matter of routine practice, which is why…

I find this so disturbing. There's this whole disrespect for pregnant women, choice, and informed consent that seems to be really prevalent - not ubiquitous, but quite common - among OBs. What are you supposed to do as a lady looking for care? There's not really good information out there for healthcare consumers.…

This kind of shit is why I told my partner that if he saw anyone so much as twitch in the direction of the episiotomy scissors during my labor, he needed to break their wrist.

Jesus. I just...

Sorry, dude. I'm not reading that. It's super long. Good night!

Obnoxious or not, I had the same thing happen to me. I felt empathy before (honest), but having a kid just dialed it up to eleven. For a while, I couldn't even watch news stories where bad things happened to adult assholes, because every one of those adult assholes was still someone's baby.

Oh dear. I actually logged in today to apologize for that post. I thought it was way too harsh as soon as I posted it, but Jezebel wouldn't let me delete. I felt bad about it all night.

So, if you'll allow me to paraphrase here: A married man is under no obligation to alter any of his behavior in any way at all for the sake of the person he married or to make any kind of effort in service to a couple's shared goals. He just does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and if a bitch doesn't like it,…

Woah! That's good info. Thank you. It somehow never occurred to me to go to PP now, since have insurance. I had also been hoping that the Affordable Care Act would fix things and let me get an iud this August, but our insurance cleverly rolled us over to a new plan year in July, so they don't have to cover…

That's some helpful advice. Thanks. I'll mention it.

My insurance does not cover the iud. It would be about $500 out of pocket, including the visit to have it put in. I don't tolerate hormonal methods that well, so we're using the diaphragm ($150, and I have very little idea what insurance paid for out of that mess), spermicide, and prayer. Last time the diaphragm…

I'm honestly not offended by your post. I don't have a parenting doctrine, myself. As someone who has tried hard to get good, objective information on the risks of co-sleeping, though, I have to tell you that it is a very hot-button issue. Bringing it up on the internet *will* attract crazy people.

Nicer than what I'd do.

I don't think you meant to troll, but if you had meant to, you could not have done better. "Co-sleeping can kill," "attachment parenting," and a post that many people could read as implying that Mississippi's infant mortality rate is due to the bad choices of Mississippi's mothers.

seconded!

Take heart. Half the population doesn't vote or care.