So many times I hear women being told what they should do by the very people claiming to advocate for their choices! Dislike your Doctor? You SHOULD go to a midwife. Dislike the hospital policy? You SHOULD birth at home. Insurance won't cover your home birth? You SHOULD pay out of pocket. Didn't get the birth desired? You should have KNOWN better than to birth in a hospital. I believe that at times some women are left with feeling that they only have choices when they make the choice others want them to make. This is the last thing we should be doing to women. Our goal as childbirth educators, doulas, and birth advocates should be to educate and inspire women to better understand their birthing options. If we treat them with contempt when they choose options that we might not are we any better than the doctors and other members of the medical machine that eliminates choices for women? I think not.

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