For decades, one idea has shaped discussions about human evolution and birth: humans endure unusually difficult childbirth ...

The broader message is unsettling and clarifying at once. Human childbirth is risky, but it may not be uniquely risky. Instead, the research suggests that difficult birth is part of a wider mammalian ...

People don’t believe it when I mention how much I loved labor and delivery. They think I’m talking about my career as a nurse-midwife helping others, not my own experiences. They’re partially right—I ...