He was charged, sentenced to 90 days in the psych ward at Chino prison, served 42 days of that sentence and was up for probation when his attorney discovered that the judge was renegging on his promise of probation and might alter his punishment entirely, in spite of time served.

I've had two midwife-assisted births, one in a hospital and one in a birthing center. Both with no interventions or pain relief other than the hot tub and meditation. We're on the same page here. However, there is such a thing as a necessary c-section, and necessary interventions that save lives.

I wouldn't be frightened away from birth centers. My oldest was born with a CNM in a regular hospital L&D ward and my youngest was born in an in-hospital birthing center. Both births were great, and I felt supported and empowered by my amazing midwifes, but the birth center was fantastic. Not only did the L&D…

I think there's definitely room for you in the CNM community. My nurse midwives (all of whom have more exposure to normal pregnancies and births than most OBs) were the most evidence-oriented, science-loving, folks I saw through my pregnancies. There was no woo-ness, just respect for me as a patient, and care for me…

I've said the same thing about how pediatricians deal with vaccine-resistant parents. Here you have folks choosing between alternative providers who are supportive and explain their point of view (misguided as it is) and mainstream pediatricians who kick folks out of their practice for asking for modify the schedule…

Haven't you seen Downton? Your chances for surviving toxemia before c-sections were pretty slim, as I understand. That's why I said c-sections were one factor that improved outcomes, along with antibiotics and hand-washing.

I'm not arguing that old-timey midwives were better at sanitation than old-timey doctors. …

There are conflicting numbers, in part because known high-risk births almost always happen in a hospital. I mean, no responsible midwife is going to try to deliver a 28-weeker at home, or a known transverse breech. So the hospital's numbers are going to look higher in part because (rightfully), that's where the most…

Another factor is family planning, which fits in with your point. I don't know the numbers in Western Europe, but some 50% of pregnancies in the US are unplanned. Now, some folks are just letting nature take its course, but others are hampered by lack of easy or affordable access to birth control. If you don't plan…

It was good while it lasted, right?

I actually just ran across this amazing article, which is relevant (and awesome). This mom had a rare birth-related injury that resulted in quadrapalegia. http://theleakyboob.com/2012/04/breast…

I had no idea such a thing could happen, but this mama has the best outlook and spirit about it.

I'm pretty sure germ theory has much more to do with the advent of safer births. Necessary c-sections as well, but mostly germ theory (and antibiotics).

Intuitively, I know what you're getting at, but I'm actually not sure it is true. I would like to see the numbers, but I suspect that even if you take out "the poors," Americans still have worse maternal and infant outcomes than much of Western (and Central) Europe. For starters, our c-section rate is way higher,…

I know. It's unrelated to the story, really, but thrown in there as red meat to try to make us women fight with each other. Because there's no fight like a girl fight.

I'll second Sarahmas and say that every woman should have the opportunity to choose a birth care provider that is best for her particular situation…

I've heard great things about this book, but haven't read it yet. http://kathrynjoyce.com/

I love both of those brands so much! If it absolutely has to be a dress, it's going to be a simple cotton dress with adorable tights.

I'm thrilled, as the mom of a girl who insists on wearing only "girl" clothes but who I am also trying to steer away from t-shirts that say things like "Future Bride."

What I really want to know, though, is when this look is going to come back:

Part of the issue is that some kids (my kid, for one) are hyper aware of whether a given item is "for girls" or "for boys." Apparently it is a totally age-appropriate stage that lasts from somewhere around three to somewhere around six. For those kids, it would actually be really useful to be able to point to the…

Oh, indeed. But even children adopted into loving and respectful homes can struggle with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) or other attachment issues. It is a function of things that happened early in the child's life, not necessarily their adoptive situations.

Because Jesus.

Seriously, an inordinate number of these folks are fundamentalist Christians acting out some sort of demented 21st century colonialism missionary script. They adopt these kids, often several at a time, and then are shocked when the kids turn out to have issues, or to want to speak their home language.…

There's a process for signing over custody of your child (adopted or bio) to the state. Unfortunately, on rare cases it is necessary. This, though? This is straight-up trafficking in humans.