Childbirth
Q. & A.
The Trauma of Giving Birth in Gaza
An obstetrician who just returned from the war zone describes what the Israeli bombardment has meant for maternal care.
This Week in Fiction
Olga Ravn on the Eerie Side of Childbirth
The author discusses “Maintenance, Hvidovre,” her story from the latest issue of the magazine.
Poems
Law of the Body
The New Yorker Documentary
Black Mothers Face Dangerous Health-Care Disparities. Can Midwives Bridge the Gap?
In “Bearing the Burden: Black Mothers in America,” stories of neglect and trauma highlight the growing movement to change this country’s approach to birth and perinatal care.
The Front Row
“Pieces of a Woman,” Reviewed: A Tale of Grief Gets Lost in the Details
This drama about a couple’s tragedy and the resulting court case is less than the sum of its parts.
Shouts & Murmurs
Mom and Baby Are Both Doing Fine
We took the liberty of putting together a registry—but, of course, no pressure whatsoever.
Medical Dispatch
A Chaotic Week for Pregnant Women in New York City
Conflict and confusion reign at New York hospitals—public and private—over how to handle labor and delivery during the coronavirus pandemic.
This Week in Fiction
Matthew Klam on the Madness of Becoming a Parent
The author discusses “The Liver,” his story from this week’s issue of the magazine.
Dispatch
A Midwife in the North Country
Sunday Smith’s services are in high demand among expectant mothers in upstate New York. Why is she just scraping by?
Under Review
Can Surrogacy Remake the World?
Two new books explore how surrogacy threatens—or deepens—our idea of family.
Personal History
Julius: The Story of a Premature Birth
Fifteen years ago, it wasn’t until twenty-six weeks that an infant might be expected to live with a good chance of normal development. We’d fallen a month short.
Photo Booth
An Artist’s Vast Collection of Images of Women (and Her Own Mother) Giving Birth
Carmen Winant’s new book, and a photographic installation of the same name, fuses family memory and found imagery to make childbirth radically visible.
Shouts & Murmurs
Realistic Birth Announcements
L.A. Postcard
A Club for New Parents in Los Angeles
Loom aims to be a hub for helping anxious parents navigate the often contradictory canon of childcare principles.
Culture Desk