Three Mississippi hospitals are bucking the state’s trend of high cesarean rates by prioritizing time and individualized care during labor. Wayne General Hospital, Baptist DeSoto, and Singing River have achieved some of the lowest rates of low-risk C-sections in a state where surgical births remain pervasive.
At Wayne General in Waynesboro, certified nurse midwife Cynthia Odom and family physicians deliver babies using a collaborative approach rarely seen in Mississippi. The hospital allows women to labor up to 42 weeks if they choose, giving patients more time than many facilities permit. Their low-risk C-section rate stands at just 14.3 percent.
Baptist DeSoto plans to ban elective inductions before 40 weeks in 2025, addressing concerns that inducing labor before the body is ready increases cesarean risk. Dr. Alok Kumar emphasized the importance of educating patients about these risks.
All three hospitals use Spinning Babies, a technique that helps laboring mothers change positions to open the pelvis and encourage the baby to descend, even with an epidural. Singing River’s “Team Birth” program allows mothers to discuss their ideal birth plan with doctors and nurses beforehand.
The hospitals share a common philosophy that birth takes time and should not be rushed. As Lori Weimer at Singing River explained, labor is natural rather than an illness requiring intervention.
Jennifer Sloan-Ziegler, who had a successful vaginal birth after cesarean at University of Mississippi Medical Center, noted that being included in decision-making made a significant difference in her experience and recovery.
See: “In the state with the most C-sections, these hospitals are challenging the status quo” (February 19, 2025)
