Secondary Safety: How “Normal Birth” Ideology Endangered Britain’s Mothers

The UK’s midwifery-led maternity model was built on trust and autonomy. But when belief in “natural birth” eclipsed clinical judgment, lives were lost. What the U.S. must learn.

The Midwifery Backbone of British Maternity Care

In the United Kingdom, pregnancy and birth care are anchored in a system where midwives are the primary clinicians. Within the National Health Service (NHS), nearly all women receive antenatal care through midwives, and midwives independently manage the majority of vaginal deliveries. Each year, about 700,…