Bengaluru's first midwife-based birth centre makes a case for choice

A birthing centre in Bengaluru is helping women make informed decisions about their pregnancy, right down to choosing how they have their baby

Over the last few years, the world has witnessed a more honest conversation around feminism, sex, consent and a woman’s choice in matters related to her body. While the MeToo movement foregrounded the idea of consent, in the United States, the birthplace of the movement, women’s right to choose has, however, been severely undermined: as many as 11 US states have made abortion illegal.

While abortion remains legal in India, the way a woman goes through her pregnancy – and delivery – is increasingly slipping out of her control. Several studies point to an increase in the number of Caesarean