--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today, what's normal is being redefined…" description: "\"“Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal birth to surgical birth; from 'My water broke,' to 'Let's break your water;' from 'It's time' to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg" --- # Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal… ![“Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal birth to surgical birth; from 'My water broke,' to 'Let's break your water;' from 'It's time' to 'It's time for the induction.' As medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd writes, 'in the early twenty-first century, we do not know what normal…” quote by Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg) > ““Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal birth to surgical birth; from 'My water broke,' to 'Let's break your water;' from 'It's time' to 'It's time for the induction.' As medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd writes, 'in the early twenty-first century, we do not know what normal birth is.' Most practicing obstetricians have never witnessed an unplugged birth that wasn't an accident. Women are even beginning to deny normal birth to themselves: if 'normal' means being induced, immobilized by wires and tubes, sped up with drugs, all the while knowing that there's a good chance of surgery, well, might as well just cut to the chase, so to speak. 'Just give me a cesarean,' some are saying. And who can blame them? They want to avoid what they think of as normal birth.”” [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The definition of “normal” birth is shifting toward medical interventions, making natural births rare and misunderstood. **In simple terms:** Normal birth is being redefined by medical practices. Key Takeaway Recognize and support natural birth options. Themes birth medicine culture women's health Mood concerned reflective Type analytical critical When to use this quote - prenatal care - birth planning - patient education - policy advocacy Key Concepts medicalization informed consent autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How does medical culture shape our perception of normal? - What can be done to preserve natural birth knowledge? A Different Perspective Medical convenience may overlook individual risks and preferences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Medical care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medical-care/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Pregnancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnancy/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“When ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) claims that home birth and midwives are unsafe, they imply that the women who choose it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/when-acog-american-college-of-obstetricians-and-gynecologists-claims/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [Your birth may be NORMAL,But your death should be HISTORY !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/your-birth-may-be-normal-but-your-death-should-be-history/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [My Birth may be normal but my Death should be History!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/my-birth-may-be-normal-but-my-death-should-be-history/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Fear of pain has resulted in many women losing sight of birth as normal and natural, and of themselves as powerful and capable. Labor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/fear-of-pain-has-resulted-in-many-women-losing-sight-of-birth-as/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I think it's important to balance out what people see today as normal birth, in a hospital room, flat on their backs, usually with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricki-lake/i-think-it-s-important-to-balance-out-what-people-see-today-as-normal/) [Ricki Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricki-lake/) > [Normal birth to me should not be numb from the waist down and waiting for the doctor to tell you to push. There's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricki-lake/normal-birth-to-me-should-not-be-numb-from-the-waist-down-and-waiting/) [Ricki Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricki-lake/) > [Having a highly trained obstetrical surgeon attend a normal birth is analogous to having a pediatric surgeon babysit a healthy 2-year-old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-wagner/having-a-highly-trained-obstetrical-surgeon-attend-a-normal-birth-is/) [Marsden Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-wagner/) > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [It is very expensive to give bad medical care to poor people in a rich country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/it-is-very-expensive-to-give-bad-medical-care-to-poor-people-in-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [Medical care for the entire country seems to me a basic right. If every other country in the West can do it, why can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/medical-care-for-the-entire-country-seems-to-me-a-basic-right-if/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Health coverage for regular citizens isn't mandated by the Constitution, but we're obligated to provide adequate medical care for prisoners, whatever the cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-riley/health-coverage-for-regular-citizens-isn-t-mandated-by-the/) Jim Riley > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Many of us are alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of medical care, including patients, who are the consumers. However, medical malpractice is not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-baca/many-of-us-are-alarmed-at-the-skyrocketing-cost-of-medical-care/) [Joe Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-baca/) > [“Medical care is a small contributor to health.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-mcneill/medical-care-is-a-small-contributor-to-health/) [Dwight McNeill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-mcneill/) > [“Our schools will not improve if we continue to focus only on reading and mathematics while ignoring the other studies that are essential elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/our-schools-will-not-improve-if-we-continue-to-focus-only-on-reading/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) ## More by Jennifer Block > [“Among industrialized countries, the U.S. ranks 29th in infant survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/among-industrialized-countries-the-u-s-ranks-29th-in-infant-survival/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [“She does not exist for herself. She exists for and through her community.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/she-does-not-exist-for-herself-she-exists-for-and-through-her/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [“You know, all the methods for childbirth, whether it's Bradley or Lamaze, they've all been developed by men, ' she said. 'I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/you-know-all-the-methods-for-childbirth-whether-it-s-bradley-or/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [“When ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) claims that home birth and midwives are unsafe, they imply that the women who choose it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/when-acog-american-college-of-obstetricians-and-gynecologists-claims/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [“The following year, she quit. Several things were bothering her. Safety protocols seemed to have no bearing on actual practice; she saw too many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/the-following-year-she-quit-several-things-were-bothering-her-safety/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) > [“The context needs to be that the goal is a healthy mom. Because mothers never make decisions without thinking about that healthy baby. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/the-context-needs-to-be-that-the-goal-is-a-healthy-mom-because/) [Jennifer Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) [Explore all 7 Jennifer Block quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/) ## More Birth quotes > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. In death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-greatest-mystery-in-life-is-not-life-itself-but-death-death-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Guns have little or nothing to do with juvenile violence. The causes of youth violence are working parents who put their kids into daycare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/guns-have-little-or-nothing-to-do-with-juvenile-violence-the-causes/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [Always keep the smile, because the smile is the beginning of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-imad/always-keep-the-smile-because-the-smile-is-the-beginning-of-love/) Adam Imad > [The wailing of the newborn infant is mingled with the dirge for the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/the-wailing-of-the-newborn-infant-is-mingled-with-the-dirge-for-the/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [I gave birth to most of them MC's... So when it comes around to the month of May, Send me your royalty check for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxanne-shante/i-gave-birth-to-most-of-them-mc-s-so-when-it-comes-around-to-the/) Roxanne Shante > [“A Beautiful verse takes birth when "U"n"I" VERSE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajesh-walecha/a-beautiful-verse-takes-birth-when-u-n-i-verse/) [Rajesh Walecha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajesh-walecha/) > [“There is no born evil, only a corruptible canvas darkened by a formidable perpetrator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yefon-isabelle/there-is-no-born-evil-only-a-corruptible-canvas-darkened-by-a/) [Yefon Isabelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yefon-isabelle/) > [I've always thought that the most extraordinary special effect you could do is to buy a child at the moment of its birth, sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/i-ve-always-thought-that-the-most-extraordinary-special-effect-you/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) [Browse all 6,183 Birth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal birth to surgical birth; from 'My water broke,' to 'Let's break your water;' from 'It's time' to 'It's time for the induction.' As medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd writes, 'in the early twenty-first century, we do not know what normal birth is.' Most practicing obstetricians have never witnessed an unplugged birth that wasn't an accident. Women are even beginning to deny normal birth to themselves: if 'normal' means being induced, immobilized by wires and tubes, sped up with drugs, all the while knowing that there's a good chance of surgery, well, might as well just cut to the chase, so to speak. 'Just give me a cesarean,' some are saying. And who can blame them? They want to avoid what they think of as normal birth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Block" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-from-vaginal-birth-to-surgical/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Birth" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-from-vaginal-birth-to-surgical/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79b/jennifer-block-51274_birth_today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-f_1183771.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Today, what's normal is being redefined: from vaginal birth to surgical birth; from 'My water broke,' to…” — Jennifer Block", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jennifer Block", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-block/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Today, what's normal is being redefined:...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-from-vaginal-birth-to-surgical/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-block/today-what-s-normal-is-being-redefined-from-vaginal-birth-to-surgical/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```