When I think of childbirth, the one word that comes
to mind is OUCH!! Although I have not had the great fortune to experience the
pain that may come with childbirth, I have had the great pleasure of being in
the room while my Goddaughter Jayla was being born. My best friend and I made a
pact a long time ago that we would be in the room for the birth of each other’s
children. The day was like any other day, I went into a routine where I called
my best friend at eight in the morning to ask if she had gone into labour and
not told me….this morning she did not laugh as she usually did as she had
experienced a lot of discomfort during the night and not slept. I told her I
was on the way to pick her up to go to the hospital, long story short that was
the day Jayla decided to grace us with her presence. I remember it like it was
yesterday, but everything happened so fast, we were in the room together I
coached her through the breathing exercise we had watched on YouTube. The
doctor came into the room and prepared himself, I held my best friends hand and
at that, time we were both crying and I kept saying, “This is it”, repeatedly.
The process was over in about half an hour, I was able to see me Goddaughter
through the tears I could not hold back; the experience was great for me. I cannot
wait until I get to give birth.
While reading Chapter 4 on prenatal development and birth in our textbook, it showcased how women in many western countries are having babies the non-conventional way. Therefore instead of spending time in the hospital delivering babies, they choose different methods, for example giving birth in the bathtub.
I have chosen
Japan as the region of the world other than the US to find out how births
happen here, as I am currently working in Japan. As a foreigner living in
Japan, I have heard stories about giving birth here as an “outsider” ,for
instance, it’s widely accepted in Japan that pregnant women can eat certain
foods like raw fish, but in the US that is a major pregnancy taboo. Another of these cultural
differences is in the standards of weight gain in mothers and average birth
weight in babies. A growing belly is a usual site for pregnant women but as a foreigner,
the average range of weight gain according to American standards may be deemed
as extreme compared to standards for Japanese women.
The experience with your god-daughter's birth sounds so special.I have not witnessed a birth myself but I've seen them on tv. I lived in Japan for a short time while my father was stationed there. I do not ever remember seeing a pregnant woman. Americans are very open to show their pregnant "bellies" with bikinis and tight fit clothing, etc. Women from other countries and cultures do not share that desire to show off their "bellies". Thanks for sharing your story!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I could feel the emotion through the story.I have also had the pleasure of witnessing a birth and it is SO beautiful! Being in the room also gives you some mental notes on what you would have to go through once it's your time to deliver. I, like you, immediatley think OUCH...PAIN...That baby has to come from WHERE?! But through the pain, and the breathing and the epidurals and so on comes such a blessing. Thank you for sharing your story :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great friend you are. According to this weeks reading, having even one person there during the delivary significantly reduces the stress and lends itself to a healthier baby. I am really looking forward to hearing about the culture in Japan.
ReplyDeleteHi Kalisa,
ReplyDeleteIt has been great reading your blogs. You have a great passion for young chidlren. I think it is fascinating that you have an opportunity to engage in a different culture and intersting to me how similar children are from one coutnry to another! Keep up the good work!