Childbirth in My Life and Around The World

My First Son- Birth Experience

My first son was born on July 27, 1992. From start to finish, I had a very good experience.  There were some funny stories that accompanied his birth.  I will not go into them all except to say I went to the hospital 2 times in false labor.  The second time, I arrived on the maternity floor.  The nurse took one look at me after I told her I had taken a shower, washed my hair, blew it dry and put on makeup.  She said, “honey, you are not in labor, go home”.  The third time was it…I woke my husband David up at 3:00 in the morning.  We walked around for a while not sure if this was it  and at 6:00 in the morning we left for the hospital.  I got to the hospital, but I was still not really progressing.  Third time was a charm.  They were not sending me home again.  At about 7:00 they broke my water and shortly after that induced labor.  My husband was by my side and so was (believe it or not) my Mother-in-Law.  My mom lived in NY at the time and was not in Florida yet.  I really do not remember too much about Jonathan’s delivery except that Lamaze sort of went out the window.  I do not want to scare anyone who has not yet given birth but the only thing that really mattered was the epidural.  Thank g-d for the epidural.  I stayed in the hospital overnight and brought home a gorgeous 5lb 8oz baby boy. 

I chose this experience because it is my own personal story.  What a wide range of emotions.  I felt disappointed as I was turned away from the hospital when I thought I was in labor.  Next, when it was actually happening I was terrified.  The feeling of relieve when I received the epidural.  Finally, I felt the joy of this new little life.  Lastly, lots of nerves taking this new little life home the very next day and having to nurture and raise this baby with no instructions….I had lots of family support.  My husband and Mother-in-Law were by my side the whole time in the hospital.  My mom came to Florida a few days later and stayed with us for four weeks.  What a help she was.  I was 23 years old not sure about anything.  My maternal instincts kicked in and I quickly adapted to my life as a new mom and loved every moment of it. 

After all of the reading we have done this week, I have learned that child development does not start after birth.  Children are not born a blank slate.  What happens from conception through birth will affect future development.  The stress factors in an expectant mothers life, what she puts into her body and the socioeconomic status of the mom.  Any one or all of these factors can adversely affect the child’s development.

Birth in Japan

In Japan, the majority of Japanese women want to give birth without the use of painkillers. This preference relates to the Buddhist perception of suffering: There is a belief among Japanese that labor pains act as a kind of test that a woman must endure in preparation for the challenging role of motherhood. This centuries-old belief endures despite the fact that a growing number of doctors in Japan are recommending epidurals for their patients, suggesting that they create a more peaceful birth experience. Although more women are beginning to exercise this option, centuries of tradition still keep many mothers from considering the procedure.  Many Japanese women deliver in hospitals, but it's not a given that the baby's father will act as the labor coach or even be in the room. Dads can be present at the birth only if they have taken prenatal classes with the mother-to-be; if a c-section is performed, they must go to the waiting room. In general, hospital stays in Japan tend to be longer than in the U.S.; mothers can expect a minimum of a five-day stay for a vaginal birth and 10 days or more for a cesarean delivery. After leaving the hospital, mother and baby often stay at the mother's parents' home for a month or sometimes longer.  It is a cultural tradition that women stay in bed with their baby for 21 days.

As you can see, the similarity is that both births occur in hospitals.  In my son’s birth, an epidural was a given. My husband took prenatal classes with me and Japanese men do as well.  I only stayed in the hospital overnight while a Japanese mom will stay in the hospital five days for a vaginal birth.  In my experience, my mom came to stay with me for 4 weeks.  A Japanese woman will go to her mom’s for a month.  The custom of staying in bed with the newborn child was new to me as well.  The insight that I gained after looked at the similarities is that in both cases is family support through the experience.  I see this as having a positive impact on the development of the newborn baby. 

Reference:

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/