Excellent points Kelly. I think it's because we are emotionally vulnerable and they treat us that way because they CAN. Women have to refuse to be treated this way and do it intelligently not emotionally as much as possible. We need our advocates in doulas and we need to be prepared with our logical defences long before crunch time. It can be a catch 22 situation: we feel emotional about defending our rights but in being emotional we can be accused of being irrational. I think the reason why a Jehova's Witness isn't questioned without respect is because everyone knows that the person has made up their minds about the issue based on a long standing belief system. As pregnant women we need to confirm our plans as early as possible and choose our carer's wisely.