C-sections should be performed only as a last resort. Unfortunately, in North America they now account for one-third of all births. Given the natural incidence of births genuinely requiring surgical intervention is two per thousand, it's obvious that modern medical practice has gone wildly off the rails.

Why should this have happened? Mainly because childbirth is taught in medical school as a condition similar to an illness, for which intervention is the principle "cure." Add in the fact that other "help" for the mother renders her incapable of giving birth naturally (e.g. inserting a neurological blocker into the lower spine, thus removing sensation and inhibiting contactions), inducing at an arbitrary date that has no scientific validity ("you're two days overdue! the baby may die unless we induce you right now!") which leads to premature contractions before the cervix is fully open, and then throw in the birth-inhibiting machines, smells, and impersonal interruptions and we have a perfect recipe for making childbirth as difficult as possible.

Next up comes the doctor's personal schedule. I spent 25 years going to a gym in NorCal that was frequented by a number of male OBGYN doctors and it was horrifying to hear them talking about "damn silly women who want to give birth naturally with no concern about my tee times." Such attitudes regard artificial induction of contractions as a helpful way to ensure the doctor is not inconvenienced.

In short, we desperately need to change the business model of birth, because today it's all about interventions and profits for the hospital. Both mothers and children suffer as a result, which is frankly insane. Doctors need to be reminded that they are there to serve our needs, not to impose their own personal agendas.