In a nation where more than 3.5 million births occur each year, the experience of giving birth reveals who is valued, who is heard, and who is left behind. 

Upon finding out they're pregnant, many people have an ideal image of how their labor and birth will go. Encouraged by an increasingly commercialized birth industry, romanticized information, and their own personal hopes and expectations, new parents are setting themselves up for a harsh – and often traumatic – awakening. 

The Perfect Birth Myth offers a sweeping, deeply human exploration of childbirth in the United States, the country with the most highly resourced and costliest maternal healthcare in the world, yet the highest rate of maternal mortality among developed countries. Drawing on decades of experience in maternal health, midwifery, and journalism, Avital Norman Nathman and Deborah Wage weave historical analysis, policy insight, personal narratives, and data from approximately 3,000 people who’ve given birth to examine the forces shaping American birth culture. From the pursuit of the “perfect birth” and the commercialization of care to the racial and psychological inequities embedded in the system, they reveal how medicalization, racism, and profit-driven policies have eroded autonomy, safety, and dignity in childbirth.

Both exposé and call to action, The Perfect Birth Myth reframes birth as an act of justice, community, and self-determination. Readers will emerge with an understanding that instead of pushing for perfection, we should be pushing for equity, respect, and shared humanity.

The Perfect Birth Myth

Pushing Back Against a Broken Industry