In this short episode I address this really thoughtful comment from a listener -

"I've noticed that Dr. Rankins' position statements have gotten stronger on the negatives of a hospital birth over time (in the year+ that I've been listening). For instance her opening introduction now frames hospitals as a system that "too often takes away power from women over what happens in their own bodies." When she first started I think this was phrased more as "it can undermine women" or something a little softer. I've noticed the types of guests she welcomes onto the podcast are also more likely to have this stronger mentality against/suspicious of/worried about hospital births. I guess I'm curious if this reflects a true change in Dr. Rankins' position as she continued to gain knowledge herself through the podcast community, or if this reflects her willingness to simply say what she's known more strongly now, or if this is a trend of worsening conditions in hospitals. And overall does Dr. Rankins feel that hospital births still provide an overall positive service to women (do the goods outweigh the bads, especially for women who come in prepared with some knowledge), or does she feel that the scales are now tipped more negatively? I guess an updated "bird's eye" view of the whole system in the US might be helpful for some of us trying to understand the overall context as we work through our individual choices available to us in our regions. (For context on myself, if it matters/helps, my first birth was unmedicated in a hospital setting with a doula -- the doula was excellent, the overall birth experience was just ok, the after birth care was very good.)"

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