Revealing the Real Risks: Obstetrical Interventions and Maternal Mortality

A really good article in Mothering magazine on the risks of having a baby. Some very thought provoking comments. To me it is another good reason to try to have a natural birth.

This is one that should make people stop an think about elective c-sections:

There is good research, both in the US and the United Kingdom, showing that the maternal mortality rate for cesarean section is four times higher than for vaginal birth.7-9 The rate of maternal mortality is still twice as high as for vaginal birth even when the cesarean section is routine, or "elective"; i.e., it is not an emergency procedure. With nearly twice as many cesarean sections as are necessary being done today in the US, the procedure could be a significant part of the reason for the country's rising rate of maternal mortality.10