To pretend that I am saying that feelings matter more than live babies is willfully ignoring the main point. I had a hospital birth wherein they tried to start nudging me toward a section, using the same fear tactics they use on a lot of women. Thankfully, I was educated, confident, and I knew what I was looking at. I proceeded to a vaginal birth with no issues after telling them to kick rocks. I didn't just roll over and obey, and I didn't let them fear monger me into interventions and then thank them for saving my baby.
What if I hadn't been educated and empowered? What if I had been railroaded into getting a section for my FIRST baby, and then very likely recommended sections for any subsequent baby, with very few providers willing to entertain a VBAC? The entire trajectory of motherhood would have been altered for me. That matters.
For me the only metric was that live baby in a bassinet. But then mine actually could have died so I don’t take it for granted that every birth ends with a live baby. Sadly I know people for whom it has not and I’m pretty sure they can also attest the ONLY thing that matters is that live baby.