Most women still give birth in hospitals, but midwives hope to change that
C-section
Family MattersPregnancy
Midwife Mania? More U.S. Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives
In 2009, midwives delivered 8% of babies born in the U.S. — an all-time high. The most midwife-friendly state? New Mexico, where midwives bring 24% of all babies into the world
Are Cesarean Sections Contributing to Childhood Obesity?
A new study finds that babies born by c-section are twice as likely to be obese by age 3 as those delivered vaginally.
Family MattersPregnancy
C-Sections May Increase Premature Babies’ Risk of Breathing Problems
Cesarean delivery isn’t better for preterm babies who are small for their age, contrary to common wisdom.
Family MattersPregnancy
Beyoncé’s Baby: C-Section? Natural Childbirth? Why We Care So Much
Welcome to your world, baby Blue, where even the way you were born is fodder for debate
Family MattersPregnancy
Deep Fear of Childbirth Drives Some C-Sections
The mere idea of pushing a fully grown baby into the world the natural way can give even the bravest expectant mother pause. But a small number of women are so terrified of childbirth that it dramatically raises their odds of …
Family MattersPregnancy
Pregnant Women Who Control their Epidural Dosage Use Less Medication
Ah, the wonders of an epidural. Within minutes, that chilly infusion of bupivicaine and fentanyl can transform the raving, pain-wracked process of birthing a baby into a pleasant hospital stay with some energetic pushing …
Family MattersPregnancy
Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No
Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby’s brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40. Going full-term gives a baby’s lungs time to mature and improves a baby’s …
Who’s Too Posh to Push? High Cesarean Section Rates Aren’t Moms’ Fault
The number of women opting to deliver by caesarean section in the U.K. has doubled since 1980, a phenomenon that has been popularly attributed to women being “too posh to push.”
CommittedPregnancy
Giving Birth the IKEA Way: Do It Yourself
Apparently, the Swedes take their D-I-Y very seriously, and not just for oddly named furniture. A new mother from Sundsvall in Northern Sweden called her local newspaper to complain after she was asked to clean out her own …
Policy change aims to reduce C-section rate
New guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published in the August issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology aim to reduce the national C-section delivery rate by shifting policy to enable more women to attempt vaginal births after an initial C-section.
Among the factors contributing to the
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