2000s

While hospitals weren't quite as popular as in earlier decades, Hannah* still most likely gave birth in one. And chances are good she had a C-section, like 30 percent of all deliveries during this decade. But while C-sections are credited for saving many lives, research began to emerge about the possible downsides to the surgery, especially when performed electively. For the first time in decades, maternal death rates increased. Even though the risk was still very low (13 deaths per 100,000 women in 2004), the increase alarmed both health experts and women. Researchers blamed both the rise in obesity and C-sections for the jump.

Fun fact: This was the era where 3-D and 4-D "keepsake ultrasounds" became popular, with shops popping up in strip malls to help moms "bond better" with their babies in utero. But be warned, while moms love them, the FDA doesn't and has issued an advisory against getting them.

