Discusses obstetricians' reluctance to help women have subsequent children naturally after having a cesarean, and provides advice on choosing a willing caregiver and preparing for the birth

On the joyful day of her son’s birth, Thais Derich never questioned going to the hospital. A week later, she walked out physically, spiritually, and emotionally injured, and fully disabused of the idea that the medical field would ever put her best interests before protocol, money, and legal concerns. The next three years of her life were spent recovering from that day, and preparing herself to do things her way when she became pregnant again. And then she did get pregnant again—and that resolve was put to the test. A universal story about betrayal and trust and the roller coaster ride in between, Second Chance illuminates the many ways in which our healthcare system is broken when it comes to helping women give birth, and gives a voice to all the mothers who have walked away from their delivery experiences wondering what the hell just happened.

Discusses the risks of cesarean sections to the mother and infant and suggests methods for avoiding unnecessary cesarean births.

Provides guidance for women wondering about giving birth naturally afteraving a cesarean section, from coping with the inevitable negative opinionsbout VBAC to choosing the right caregiver.

Women are over four times more likely to have a caesarean birth than they were some years ago. Intended for women who have had a caesarean or repeat caesareans, this title provides suggestions for constructive ways to achieve vaginal birth when it is the right option for mother and baby.

The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.