natural birth

Episiotomies are beginning to look like the Pet Rocks of obstetrics: Nobody really wants one anymore, and fewer and fewer of them are being done. But some experts say that too many of them ... READ MORE

Renewed Interest in Home Births

A majority of people in the U.S. think "hospital" when talking about giving birth to a baby. However, home births are gaining in popularity, even in cramped Manhattan, The New York Times ... READ MORE

Real Life Stories: Home Births

"I was happy to be in my own bed. But let's face it: Birth without drugs sucks."Mardi Douglass, SeattleI gave birth to my first son without pain medication at a birthing center. I found out ... READ MORE

A Better Birth

Over the past century, childbirth has become safer for mothers and babies in the United States. From 1900 to 1999, the risk of a baby dying during birth or in the first year of life plummeted ... READ MORE

Communicate for A Better Birth

Write a birth plan, but not in stone. According to new guidelines from England, birth plans are a great way to determine what you want in labor, but once you're in its throes, it's ... READ MORE

Too Much Technology?

At 37 weeks pregnant and very uncomfortable, Ginhee Eng, 34, and her OB-GYN made a deal: If she still hadn't gone into labor with her second baby by 38 weeks, he'd induce her. "I wanted my ... READ MORE