From my understanding, which is limited, there are two types of midwives: regular midwives and certified nurse midwives. One is an RN, and one is not. An obstetrician has an M.D. and is usually credentialed to perform surgery/high risk procedures. A doula doesn't actually help deliver the baby but is there to assist…

Yeah, my kid was behind on a few vaccines and a co-worker who runs our local Polio Initiative on behalf of Rotary International urged me to get him up to date, stat. When I took him, they put me in a segregated waiting room. When I finally got in and told the doctor that I wanted to absolutely make sure my kid was…

A woman in Hawaii once wanted to give birth among dolphins in an enclosure. It took a whole team of marine biologists to explain why this was a terrible idea (including the main one: the dolphins will eat and/or smother your baby).

Yeah, this just reminds me a little too much of "Born in Zion". I'm all for midwives and natural birth, but for God's sake, it might be a good idea to have some sort of medical professional nearby.

My brother did the groom-mom dance to a cover of "Because you Loved Me". It was really nice.

It is, but at least it makes plain old weddings seem like the greatest thing ever!

Wow, yeah I hear that big weddings are a huge drain. My SIL (daughter of bat-guano crazy MIL) had a $50k huge wedding where I was a bridesmaid. It is probably the only time I ever felt bad for SIL. Literally, MIL, aunt, and MoH's mother burst into the bridal suite and explained to her that marriage is terrible and…

My grandpa apparently insisted on dancing to "Yellow Rose of Texas" with my mum. She was like, halfway through, "dad, we don't even live anywhere near Texas and I'm a brunette".

Yeah, things like this make me glad we eloped. When we were briefly considering a proper Catholic wedding, my bat-guano crazy MIL insisted on having my husband take ballroom lessons, not for our first dance, but for the mother-son dance because she wanted it to be a show-stopper.

They sell them in Italy too. I remember my ex's mother getting a kick out of them.

Yup. The rates of violence against women are outstandingly high in that city. I had yet to meet a girl that lived there who wasn't a victim of some type of crime.

I am so sorry to hear about your wife. I really wish the states would set up a fund for rape kits.

Fayetteville, NC in 2011. I cannot remember the names of the two responding officers, but they were a bunch of assholes. It took them 30+ minutes to respond and they really didn't want to be bothered at 2:00 in the morning.

I am better now, although I do still suffer with PTSD. Thank you for asking

I know from terrible personal experience that North Carolina, or at least Cumberland County, won't even take you in for a kit if you are uninsured. Forget the semen inside of me, I also had a perfect, full impression set of bite marks with saliva.

I find it all interesting. Growing up in NY/New England I was exposed to a variety of Protestant denominations (Dutch Reform, Society of Friends, Congregationalist, etc.) but never anything like the Southern Baptists or the Pentecostals. So now that I am in the South it is all so interesting and new to me.

I remember when my brother and I were growing up and we had to go to a religious Ceremony for a Pentecostal family member. We grew up in a pretty straight-laced, New England Catholic church where mass lasted an hour and there was no singing, so being 8 and 15 we really weren't prepared for Pentecostalism. The church…

Dear South Carolina,

I have a red gold band with a few tiny synthetic diamonds around the band. It looks nice and dainty. My one SIL has her grandmother's engagement/wedding band and it is beautiful. My other SIL has a 3 carat Tiffany diamond and it looks like the gaudiest thing ever. It is literally like an announcement of "guess how…

The only two high-fashion items I crave are Cartier watches and Birkin bags. I knew someone that had a first-edition Birkin and it was still in perfect condition. Things that last seem worth the money.