Does it irritate you that so many women still do not educate themselves?

Good point. I think it's because a lot of women get pregnant by accident so they are not prepared beforehand.

Some are just irresponsible. Not saying all, but some.

The other thing women, teen girls in particular, don't seem to educate themselves on either is BIRTH CONTROL. If I had a dime for every accidental teen pregnancy on Y!A I'd be rich.

Good for your for taking responsibilty with your babies. They'll thanks you for it (hopefully they already have since their older!) I am grateful my mom kept herself and me healthy, because it's shame when children or mothers end up sick or hurt when it could've been prevented.

Ooh, I know! I'm not even a mother yet but I've seen a birth before (I was in a nursing program during high school) and I definitely am going to educate myself as much as I possibly can before I give birth. I do not want to tear or get stitches. When you see a woman getting stitches in full view it makes you not want that to happen to you! I would like to have a natural birth and not just be lying in the bed the entire time. I hate that most women assume they have to stay in bed and can't move. I'm going to be walking around as much as possible and maybe go in the tub or something.

I also don't like when mothers and doctors want a c-section right away or aren't on the same page during the delivery. The birth I saw the mother was pushing when the computer told her to, not when she she felt she was suppose to, so they took her to the OR just in case and ended up having to use forceps. If the doctor/nurse would have noticed it she probably could have pushed the baby out herself. I didn't realize it until afterwards (I was only 17 after all). Too many people look at birth as something to get done as quickly as possible with the least amount of pain rather than looking at it as a natural process.

I was very well educated on my pregnancies. I had my first child no problems and no stitches. I had to have an emergancy c-section with my 2nd. Now what I want to know how much did your babies weigh? I know after a certain weight even with the perineal massage the baby is just too big and cannot be avoided. Some women want to have the tearing and stitches. Having a episiotomy is completely optionional! It's all a matter of choice!

Medical care is no where what it use to be years ago. You use to be able to go to a doctor and they would treat you like family and now you go to a physician's office and you're just a number. When I would go for my monthly check ups for pregnancy, my doctor only spent 5 minutes with me, didn't take a look at my vitals or weight after the nurse took them and offered me no advice or information on anything. By my 6th month, I was ready to find another doctor, but wasn't sure if anyone else would take me that late in the game.

I bought books and researched things online but found most information to be very generic which would still leave many questions in the back of my mind.

There are things that someone would discuss and I would think to myself, "Oh, that is good to know", but would have never had know to ask the question. It was my first pregnancy and really, until anything would happen, I had no idea what to expect.

I don't understand it either. I'll be 21 next month and my mum thinks I know more about things than she does! Weird huh?! I'm a learning bug! I love to learn, educate, and know what to expect... If it's an emergency I let the doctors take that. You can't be afraid of everything that happens to you ya know?

Women need to find things on the internet, the library, a doctor they trust, midwives, their own mothers, ANYONE they can trust. It makes the outcome much much better if you know what to expect, how things will happen, and what's going to happen in the future..

Many are just really young... As am I.. But I am educated. If I don't understand something I get the answers first! I research it.. ask questions... I do wish more people were like that. It saves trouble and they can pass it on to someone else who needs it.

Alot of the times it's because they think midwives can't give them medication while in labour.

I found myself constantly researching. Each and everything I was told I researched, or asked more about.

My first pregnancy I used an OB, only because I was young.

My second I used a midwife. I had a pain med free birth. After my second experience I will NEVER go to an OB again (unless the pregnancy is high risk). I will also NEVER use pain meds again.

Lucky you for not tearing. I tore from one end to the other right into my muscle with my son.

Yes, very frustrating. This stuff is IMPORTANT, yet so many women feel that 'just doing what the doctor says' or (esp. after baby arrives) 'going by maternal instinct' is all that's necessary.

I'll also confess to being irritated at the vast number of questions right here on Y!A that can be easily answered with a simple google search. As often as not *I* google the answer (and provide a link) in less time than it would have taken the asker to type in her question.

It is frustrating that so many women just do not do their research. It also gets annoying when women do not ask questions to their doctors/midwives. I understand having trust in your doctor/midwife but there are times when a mother needs to do the research herself and come up with a decision on her own instead of just relying on what one person says. I don't have a midwife, I have an OBGYN but from the very begining I made sure she knew what I am comfortable with and not comfortable with, what I want and dont want, and how I want things done. Women need to start doing that more often. They are putting their lives and their babies life in these peoples hands, you would think they would do their own research and find what is best for them and their babies instead of just having that "smile n nod" and "no questions asked" attitude.

I have to agree with you but at the same time people just assume what their Dr tells them is how it is going to be and there is no changing that. Myself I feel like I have tried to read up on as much stuff as possible but never come across any alternatives to episiotomies or tearing I would really like to hear what you did to avoid those. It's truly frustrating to me to see those dumb questions over and over again when th answers to them are all over the internet and every book on pregnancy i have read.

Well, I tore despite my best 'oiling' efforts....I still got stitched from hole to hole.

I educated myself, it did nothing to help my tearing though.

Different doctors think differently. My hospital didn't do episiotomies...but some do, and they have medical degrees, where as I don't, so I think they are pretty educated to make a choice when it comes to the great cut or not.

I honestly to not mean to sound rude...but I have no idea why the stitching of other womens vagina's bothers you so greatly.

I inhabit an extremely diverse international from yours. I understand you're practise polishing off your Masters degree ~ and the thought that follows this is ~ 'In Ranting'. If all you're asking is a chain of Whys, with out fixing on some 'project' in there that we are able to concentration on and respond to.... All i actually come away with (from analyzing you) is a who Wall of Whys (approximately women). I desire you success with your artwork ~ and to which you will come across a sensible end for it. Sash.