Week 1 Early Childhood Development - Childbirth in Your Life and Around the World

Childbirth in My Life

My personal birthing experience with my daughter Sydney, now age 10, was quite eventful. My water broke at McDonald's during my nephew's birthday party (luckily it was just a slow leak). I had many issues with contractions throughout my pregnancy and had visited OB triage many times. So when my water actually broke, and my labor contractions started, my husband didn't believe I was in actual labor until the triage nurse at the hospital confirmed it. My contractions were very regular (less than 5 minutes apart) and intense. I did choose to get an epidural once I reached 7cm dilation. However, I experienced "hot spots" which were basically areas where the epidural did not work. Then my labor seemed to stall and a C-section was considered 24 hours into my hospital stay. I chose to wait and let labor progress. Once I started to push, there was clearly something wrong. The doctor called a "code blue" and my room rushed with people. I remember seeing a nurse push my husband out of the way and grab my leg, while another nurse jumped onto the table and started pushing on my belly. All while the doctor was telling me to push as hard as I could.

Sydney's shoulders had become lodged in my pelvis and she was "stuck" in the birth canal. When she finally came out, she was blue. I remember seeing her across the room while the doctors and nurses worked on her. I never heard her cry. Her initial Apgar score was very low and she was taken away to the NICU. She was breathing, but was unresponsive. It wasn't long until a doctor from the NICU came in and spoke to my husband and my family, telling us that she was stable and that I would be taken to her after I was cleaned up. Sydney stayed in the NICU for 4 days and then was released to come home. She has not had any health complications from her traumatic birth and she has reached all of her developmental milestones on time.

I chose to write about my daughter's birth because had her birth occurred at home I'm sure there would have been serious and/or devastating complications for the both of us. I understand that the United States in is the minority regarding birthing in a controlled/clinical setting, however, I am beyond grateful for the medical professionals and medical facility where I was able to deliver. The impact that a traumatic birth has on child development can be life alternating for the child and the family. I understand that giving birth is a very natural process and is handled differently around the world; however, I also work first hand with numerous families and children who have been affected by serious complications that have occurred when their children were being delivered, which makes me very cautious about delivering a child where medical professionals and equipment are not present.

Childbirth Around the World

I chose to look into rural Vietnamese childbirth practices. There is no formal prenatal care for expectant mothers there, however there are societal rules to follow when mothers are expecting. These rules include eating healthy lean meats and refraining from overeating and drinking alcohol. Vietnamese expectant mothers are expected to work and remain physically active up until delivery. It is believed that if a mother is still and frequently lies down that it will cause the baby to become too big. Vietnamese fathers and male relatives are not allowed in the birthing room (usually in the home). The mother's female relatives assist with delivery. It is believed that when the newborn first cries that it is a sign that they have a soul. Post-delivery, a fire is lit under the mother's bed to help raise the mother's body temperature. A local nurse comes regularly to clean the mother and baby; however, the mother is not allowed to wash her hair until she is an active member of the household again (which can take up to one month).

The article that I found this information in was written for the purpose of understanding the cultural differences between Canadian birthing practices (which appear very similar to the United States) and Vietnamese birthing practices due to the high number of Vietnamese immigrants in a specific region of Canada. Cultural differences were outlined to help medical professionals understand how to best care for their Vietnamese patients and families. By comparing the two practices and educating medical professionals it helps promote a greater understanding of what prenatal care was given, and what birth practices Vietnamese mothers are accustomed to. By creating this understanding it can facilitate a less stressful environment for the mother and her family and allow for a much smoother birth both medically and emotionally.

In comparison to my birth experience, there are some obvious differences including the extent of prenatal care delivered, the location of delivery (hospital vs. home) and the fact that my husband was in the delivery room with me. Also, in the Vietnamese culture, a mother is expected to continue to participate in physical labor throughout her pregnancy. Due to the complications and issues I was having, I was placed on modified bed rest and was encouraged to stay off my feet. After giving birth, I was back into the household routine as soon as I came home from the hospital. It was interesting to see how the Vietnamese culture seemed to focus on working hard during the pregnancy but taking ample time to heal after pregnancy before resuming household tasks as compared to the more "western" practice of taking it easy during pregnancy, but then getting back to normal responsibilities quickly after delivery.

Bodo, K., & Gibson, N. (1999). Childbirth customs in Vietnamese traditions. Canadian Family Physician, 45, 690.