{
  "id": 19809,
  "title": "India’s elite fight back against C-sections. One midwife at a time",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/07/24/indias-elite-fight-back-against-c-sections-one-midwife-at-a-time",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-07-24T02:30:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Ken",
    "slug": "the-ken",
    "url": "https://the-ken.com/story/indias-elite-fight-back-against-c-sections-one-midwife-at-a-time/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India’s elite are challenging the widespread practice of Caesarean sections (C-sections), with a focus on empowering midwives through alternative birthing facilities. One such facility, Aastrika Midwifery Centre in Bengaluru, has gained popularity among urban, educated mothers who seek a more personalized and less medically overbearing birthing experience.\n\nAastrika's approach involves placing the midwife at the center of childbirth, with doctors working alongside them. This midwife-led care model has led to a significant reduction in C-section rates at the center, which delivered 845 babies, including high-risk pregnancies, compared to the 60% C-section rate in urban private hospitals as reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.\n\nOther hospitals, such as Fernandez Hospital in Hyderabad and Superhealth Hospitals, have also implemented midwife-led care initiatives, including dedicated midwife units and midwife training programs. The Indian government has also recognized the importance of midwifery services, incorporating midwife-led care units and training centers into the National Health Mission.\n\nFor Shambhavi Srivastava, the founder of Aastrika Midwifery Centre, this shift was a revelation. After experiencing judgment and unsolicited guilt during her previous hospital births, she found solace at Aastrika, feeling heard, informed, and involved in the decision-making process. Srivastava now proudly shares her story of motherhood to two adopted children.",
  "summary": "The post India’s elite fight back against C-sections. One midwife at a time appeared first on The Ken .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}