The Truth About America’s Most Common Surgery

June 18, 2024

(The Atlantic) – The Cesarean delivery can save lives in labor emergencies, and it’s overwhelmingly safe—but in the United States, nearly one in every three births now results in a C-section, including for low-risk patients who don’t need them. For many of these women, the medically unnecessary operation presents a much greater risk to their life than vaginal birth, as well as to their ability to safely give birth again. Invisible Labor traces what Somerstein calls the “cascade of consequences” following a woman’s first C-section, framing the procedure as a symbol of the daunting, interconnected phenomena that make American motherhood so dangerous. She posits that the U.S. health-care system has come to devalue the importance of human touch, relationship building, and interpersonal support, causing our medical infrastructure to fall short of other high-income nations in keeping birthing people safe. (Read More)