Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care

A groundbreaking narrative investigation of childbirth in the age of machines, malpractice, and managed care, Pushed presents the complete picture of maternity care in America. From inside the operating room of a hospital with a 44% Cesarean rate to the living room floor of a woman who gives birth with an illegal midwife, Block exposes a system in which few women have an optimal experience. Pushed surveys the public health impact of routine labor inductions, C-sections, and epidurals, but also examines childbirth as a women's rights issue: Do women even have the right to choose a normal birth? Is that right being upheld? A wake-up call for our times, Block's gripping research reveals that while emergency obstetric care is essential, we are overusing medical technology at the expense of maternal and infant health.

Author: Jennifer Block

Publisher: Da Capo Press

Publication Date: April 08, 2008

Number of Pages: 343 pages

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

ISBN-10: 0738211664

ISBN-13: 9780738211664