Okay so here is the exact reason I became a childbirth educator and exactly what I hoped I could help students avoid.  A local teacher in our area emailed me the following and in SHOCK I pass it on to you.  With one thought: this is a real story, this is really happening and it could happen to any one of us – be aware of what your care provider is doing!

“I had a mama email me, very upset, because her care provider did a VE and stripped her membranes without telling her. Seriously? Care providers think they can just put their hand up a woman’s vagina and mess with her cervix without bothering to tell her? This really irritates me.  I warn my students about this, and they don’t believe me.

And why on earth are NST’s starting at 35 weeks? Really? I thought they were supposed to check near the end (40+ weeks) to verify placenta is working well and all - but to start doubting everyone’s health a month before baby could be born? Is this just an attempt to get as much money as possible from insurance companies? AAargh!!

I’m just really angry with the mentality shown in these cases. <irony> Care providers can do whatever they want to moms without saying anything, so of course the care provider should be trusted. And mom’s bodies are going to kill their babies if they aren’t constantly monitored. So moms can trust themselves as well. <irony> *sigh*”