#225 — Birth is broken in America. It’s rooted in patriarchy, white supremacy, and a managed care system that pushes profits over people. This medical model provides substandard care that persists because it’s always been done that way—not because it’s rooted in evidence. In fact, plenty of evidence suggests that the managed care model causes widespread problems that affects every aspect of our society today. Under this medical model, birth has become accepted as trauma, with as much as 30-40% of people who give birth reporting mistreatment or negative experiences. If we want to improve the outcomes of birthing people and families, we must unpack how and why our current system is failing us. Allison Yarrow, award-winning journalist, speaker, and author, wants to change that narrative with the help of her latest book, “Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood.” There is so much power in a group of people who have been touched by birth. Humanity would not exist without the process of birth, when our bodies are at their strongest. Allison’s goal is to open up conversations between people who have given birth, inviting us to share our stories and feel validated in them—no matter what they are. Allison joined host Sarah K Peck on this episode of the Startup Parent Podcast to talk about why birthing is broken under our current healthcare system, and what we can do better in the future. They discuss: The cascade of interventions and medicalization of birth. The relationship between trauma and birth. The importance of informed consent in care. How a managed model of care leads to worse outcomes. What we can do to change the birth experience in the future. The episode is an invitation to unpack the intricacies of birth experiences and the existing systems that influence them so that we can rewrite the narratives around motherhood. Instead of trauma and disempowerment, we can embrace the power and vulnerability of the birth and transform it into an empowered, informed, and agency-driven experience. SHOW NOTES Full show notes at http://startupparent.com/227