All women deserve maternity care that is consistent with the best available research on safety and effectiveness and that supports the natural processes of pregnancy and birth. Unfortunately, too often women don’t receive such care.

The U.S. maternity care system frequently offers fragmented, impersonal care that does not reflect what research has shown for decades produces the best health outcomes for mothers and babies. Maternity care in the United States is characterized by several problems:

Too few women get adequate prenatal care.

In the past decade or so, … More