ABSTRACT
In modern medicine, obstetrics includes the care of women before conception, during pregnancy, and immediately postpartum—that is, after childbirth. Because medicine has long been a microcosm for a culture at large, the evaluation and care of pregnant women provide a key to societal values and attitudes. As an illustration, this article will focus on the United States, where, today, issues in bedrooms and legislative chambers are reflected in examination rooms and insurers' boardrooms.
