{"product_id":"invisible-labor-the-untold-story-of-the-cesarean-section-9780063264427","title":"Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn incisive yet personal look at the science and history of the most common surgery performed in America--the cesarean section--and an expos? on the disturbing state of maternal medical care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Rachel Somerstein had an unplanned C-section with her first child, the experience was anything but \"routine.\" A series of errors by her clinicians led to a real-life nightmare: surgery without anesthesia. The ensuing mental and physical complications left her traumatized and searching for answers about how things could have gone so wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the United States, one in three babies is born via C-section, a rate that has grown exponentially over the past fifty years. And while in most cases the procedure is safe, it is not without significant, sometimes life-changing consequences, many of which affect people of color disproportionately. With C-sections all but invisible in popular culture and pregnancy guides, new mothers are often left to navigate these obstacles on their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSomerstein weaves personal narrative and investigative journalism with medical, social, and cultural history to reveal the operation's surprising evolution, from its early practice on enslaved women to its excessive promotion by modern medical practitioners. She uncovers the current-day failures of the medical system, showing how pregnant women's agency is regularly disregarded by providers who, motivated by fear of litigation or a hospital's commitment to efficiency, make far-reaching and deeply personal decisions on behalf of their patients. She also examines what prevailing maternal and medical attitudes toward C-sections tell us about American culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInvisible Labor\u003c\/em\u003e lifts the veil on C-sections so that people can make choices about pregnancy and surgical birth with greater knowledge of the risks, benefits, and alternatives, with information on topics including: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003eVBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eand repeat c-sectionPain and pain management during childbirthHow C-sections can affect family planningThe valuable role of midwives and doulas in the birth experienceThe myths behind \"natural\" childbirth How limitations put on reproductive rights impact pregnant people\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith deep feeling and authority, Somerstein offers support to others who have had difficult or traumatic birth experiences, as well as hope for new forms of reproductive justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-16376941\"\u003eRachel Somerstein\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Ecco Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/22\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780063264427\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0063264420\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-SOC\"\u003eSocial Science\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-SOC028000\"\u003eWomen's Studies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HEA\"\u003eHealth \u0026amp; Fitness\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HEA041000\"\u003ePregnancy \u0026amp; Childbirth\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-MED\"\u003eMedical\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-MED039000\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Ecco Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43845587828875,"sku":"9780063264427","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5100\/7115\/files\/img_b7cf93c2-eddf-4781-8e50-c56210e91c99.jpg?v=1755885836","url":"https:\/\/cacorrectionsbookstore.com\/products\/invisible-labor-the-untold-story-of-the-cesarean-section-9780063264427","provider":"CA Corrections Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}