| Chapter 1: | Maternal Expectations in 21st-Century U.S. Birth Culture |
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expectations in chapter 2. I cover each pathway in an individual chapter that opens with research relevant to understanding that pathway’s contemporary context followed by individual cases. Chapters are roughly organized according to the percentage of mothers expecting the particular pathway, with more frequently endorsed pathways appearing first, including vaginal birth in hospital with no anticipated intervention (chapter 3), anticipated spinal (epidural) labor analgesia (chapter 4), or a “wait and see” approach to epidural analgesia (chapter 5). Less commonly pursued were planned cesarean delivery (chapter 6), vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC; chapter 7) and out-of-hospital birth (chapter 8). Chapter 9 reviews cross-cutting themes and their implications. Within the context of my familiarity with scientific evidence on childbirth, my personal views, and my own positive personal birth experience, I found myself at times uplifted and at others saddened by what my interviewees said about their experiences—on which I focus for the remainder of the book.