Producer: Betsy Kulman

In the US today, the single most frequent surgical procedure is the C-section, the 'caesarian'.

Where it is an established practice, the World Health Organization suggests it should not exceed 15 per cent of all deliveries. In the US, the current figure is close to 30 per cent. The growing debate about C-section delivery questions its safety, necessity and viability.

Here we meet both sides - those who say it is a reasonable choice and those who argue that it is unnecessary, can be life threatening and is frequently done out of corporate expediency rather than medical need.

How do women on the cusp of having a child work through these options?

The blessings of choice can be a curse of options.

Maternal health is about more than just mothers and babies. Across the globe  the very business of delivering life into the world is determined by power, politics  and, all too frequently, poverty.