Most women still give birth in hospitals, but midwives hope to change that
C-section
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.
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.
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
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 …
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 …
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.”
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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