The Overlooked Harms of Cesarean Birth

This common procedure can be a life saver—if it isn't overused

While there is a need for C-sections sometimes, they may be overperformed in the US. Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Aimee Wright and her husband Scott, who live in Lake Mary, Florida, planned to have a home birth seven years ago. Wright was 33 and had a lot of friends who had given birth at home successfully. She saw no reason for a healthy pregnant woman to birth in the hospital.

“In my mind, hospitals are where people go when they’re sick or dying,” Wright said. “I don’t think pregnancy and childbirth require that.”