What’s changed about giving birth?

For many Americans, it’s become pricey and potentially dangerous. The U.S. has a higher rate of mothers dying in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum than any other high-income nation, with 32.6 deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2022, up from 25.3 deaths in 2018. The rates are sharply higher for some ethnic groups: Black women had a mortality rate of 50 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022, nearly triple the rate for white and Hispanic women. That same year, Canada recorded 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, the U.K. 5.5, and Norway zero. The average cost of giving birth is also higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries, coming in at nearly $19,000 for a vaginal delivery in 2022, or about $2,854 after insurance kicks in. In G

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