Why We Give Birth This Way

This chapter covers the historical grounding that is necessary for a meaningful cultural analysis of birth in the United States—a necessary precondition for interpreting the findings of my study going forward. My historical sketch has included the ways in which the biomedicalization of birth care has unfolded with special attention to intersections with social justice movements, and the long-reaching ramifications of those histories. This brief but thorough history of birth culture in the United States will allow my readers to better understand the invisible narratives that undergird the hegemonic approaches to childbirth care, to analyze the social and cultural forces at play, to reckon with the costs birthing people and their families pay for maintaining these established birth care structures, thereby making the case for the transformation birth care on every level.