Aiming for Zero Harm: Cultural Drivers of Overdiagnosis in Medicalized Birthing

Although childbirth is a natural process, it has become increasingly medicalized in recent decades, a trend extensively analysed by scholars. This shift has introduced numerous technological advancements in birth care, such as tests, screenings and medications to assist in birthing, intended to reduce risk and ensure the safety of mother and baby. While such interventions have improved outcomes, they also promote a ‘no harm’ ideal as the gold standard in birth care. In healthcare services more broadly, an emphasis on risk minimization has led to challenges such as overdiagnosis; the identification of minor or harmless conditions that may never cause symptoms or harm, yet still label individuals as patients. In this chapter, I examine how birthing women navigate cultural ideals of responsible health behaviour and the curative promises of biomedicine, and how these shape their experiences and expectations during childbirth. I analyse how the seductive ideal of ‘no harm’ reflects broader cultural and societal expectations and may result in overdiagnosis in birth care. By situating these dynamics within the institutional and cultural contexts of medicalized childbirth, I explore how the drive to minimize harm can inadvertently reshape the birthing experience, reinforcing both the benefits and unintended consequences of medical interventions.