Pregnancy and childbirth in India are becoming increasingly institutionalised, closely monitored and commercially packaged, especially in urban areas. While improved access to hospitals has made maternal care more available, growing medical intervention and premium maternity services are also raising concerns about unnecessary procedures, tests and anxiety among expectant parents.
According to the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), conducted in 2023-24 and released in May 2026, 90.6 per cent of births in India now take place in health institutions. At the same time, 27.2 per cent of births are delivered through Caesarean section. The C-section rate rises to 40.5 per cent in urban areas and reaches 54.1 per cent in private hospitals.
The increasing use of C-sections is part of a broader trend towards intensive pregnancy management. Doctors are seeing more patients requesting additional scans, genetic tests, elective labour inductions and planned Caesareans even when there is no immediate medical necessity. In some cases, birth plans are influenced by personal preferences, work commitments, family occasions or auspicious dates.
Premium maternity care has also expanded rapidly. Several private hospitals now offer maternity packages designed around comfort and personalised services, including luxury labour and recovery rooms, specialised meals, antenatal classes, lactation support, dietitians, physiotherapy and concierge-style assistance. Such packages can cost anywhere from around Rs 1.5 lakh to more than Rs 5 lakh.
Doctors say there is nothing inherently wrong with making maternity care more comfortable. However, concerns arise when convenience, anxiety or lifestyle preferences begin influencing medical decisions that should primarily depend on clinical requirements.
A Caesarean section can be essential and life-saving when medically indicated, but it is major abdominal surgery. Compared with vaginal delivery, it can involve greater risks such as infection, blood loss, blood clots, a longer recovery period and complications during future pregnancies. One such complication is placenta accreta, in which the placenta attaches abnormally to the uterine wall and can cause severe bleeding during delivery.
Medical research is also examining possible longer-term associations for children born through C-section. A 2024 population-based cohort study reported associations between Caesarean birth and increased risks of respiratory infections, asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis and childhood obesity, although the researchers noted that such findings do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
At the same time, doctors point to genuine medical reasons behind some of the increase in Caesarean deliveries. Pregnancies at an advanced maternal age, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related hypertension and assisted reproductive techniques can increase the likelihood that a C-section may be medically appropriate.
Fear of childbirth is another factor. Some women opt for planned Caesareans because they are deeply anxious about labour pain. Known as tokophobia, severe fear of childbirth has been recognised as a reason for requesting elective Caesarean delivery. Research has also linked pregnancy-related anxiety with higher rates of medical interventions, including operative deliveries.
Information overload is adding another layer of stress for new parents. Obstetricians say some low-risk pregnancies are now accompanied by repeated growth scans, Doppler examinations and other tests even when routine monitoring shows no concerning signs. Although ultrasound is considered safe when medically indicated, unnecessary testing can sometimes create additional anxiety by identifying borderline findings that lead to more consultations and investigations.
For many urban parents, the challenge is not a lack of information but an excess of it. Parenting apps, social media, online forums and search engines constantly expose families to advice about feeding, sleeping, development and newborn behaviour. Without family support or experienced caregivers nearby, normal variations can easily appear alarming.
The growing cost of motherhood therefore extends beyond hospital bills and premium maternity packages. It also includes the emotional burden created by constant monitoring, conflicting advice and fear of making the wrong decision. Better maternal care will require not only access to medical services, but also balanced education, appropriate testing, trust between patients and doctors, and an environment that supports mothers without turning pregnancy into a constant source of anxiety.
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