FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Many first-time mothers have expectations of how they would like their birth experience to go, but it often doesn’t go as planned. They can run into complications, which can result in a cesarean birth. The Lutheran Hospital Women’s and Children’s Services Department is helping change the first-time birth experience, with a significant reduction in C-sections.
Between 2024 and 2025, the percentage of moms giving birth naturally at Lutheran Hospital increased. The team of nurses and providers helped achieve a 29% reduction in C-sections performed there. Specifically, the C-section rate at Lutheran dropped from 23.1 in 2024 to 16.5 in 2025. The national average rate of performing C-sections is 25% of pregnant women.
Reducing first-time C-sections allows for faster healing after birth, lower risk of infections and complications, better bonding and breastfeeding, along with shorter hospital stays and lower costs…