Birth by the Numbers

Birth statistics can give us a lot of insight as to the current state of our maternity care system. It can also help you in making decisions like choosing a care provider and birth location. Ask for the stats. How does your chosen or potential care provider or birth location compare? Is their cesarean rate higher than average? Is there a specific reason why? Is it lower?

The infographic below highlights a few key statistics on births in the United States in 2021:

Here’s a recap of the statistics from the infographic image:

• 98% of births took place in a hospital. The rest of births happened somewhere else, like a birth center or at home.
• Physicians were in attendance at most births, though around 12% were attended by midwives.
• 32% of births were induced, meaning medications or other methods were used to bring on labor.
• 78% of birthing people had an epidural or spinal anesthesia during labor.
• Roughly 1 out of 3 (32%) babies were born via cesarean section. According to the World Health Organization, the rate should be lower (around 10-15%).
• 95% of babies were in a cephalic (head down) presentation at birth. 5% were breech or some other presentation.
• 14% of birthing people with a previous cesarean went on to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). 86% had a repeat cesarean.
• 65% of birthing people had a spontaneous vaginal delivery; 3% had a vaginal birth using a vacuum or forceps; 9% had a cesarean birth after a trial of labor; 23% had a cesarean without a trial of labor.

Avoiding medical interventions you don’t want or need is important for your birth. It can help to think about what you do want for your experience. I have a quiz and free resource to help you learn more about how you might want to approach navigating labor and birth. Click the button below to take the quiz!

Discover and Explore Your Birth Journey Archetype!