The Child Birthing Experience

My personal experience with child birthing is limited. My knowledge of my own birth is limited and I haven't had the pleasure of giving birth. I have had one experience and that one still surprises me til this day. The one experience I have with child birthing happened when I was in college. It wasn't like it was a close friend, it actually was my boyfriend's (at the time) sister. It was kind of one of those situations where you want to be helpful but the awkwardness is kind of overwhelming. I can say the event was one to remember. I remember getting a phone call from my boyfriend saying his sister was going into labor and their was no one that could be their with her, so he asked me to go. My first reaction was pure shock because me and his sister weren't like the best of friends. When I arrived at the hospital, she was in the room and apparently had been in labor for a while. At this point they where monitoring the babies heart rate and trying to get the baby to change its position. I worried that their would be complications and I wasn't sure how to handle it, if their was. Eventually the babies position changed and they ended up inducing her labor. A few hours had passed before she started delivery.I could tell she was in so much pain. Finally, the baby arrived. They weighed him and I was able to take the first picture. While this experience started off awkward, it was a true learning experience. 
I think birth is a special and precious event that occurs. It plays a huge role in the development of the child. Things that happen during the pregnancy effects how the child grows. The chooses people make during prenatal development can have an everlasting effect on how a child learns, behaves, and interacts with others.

Ethiopia's View

Child birth in Ethiopia is different then that of the United States. When a woman is pregnant it is not talked about until she is showing. She is expected to continue working and doing chores until she gives birth. During the eighth month of pregnancy the woman goes and lives with her parents to prepare for the birth. Unlike most people in the United States, items are not purchased for the baby until its born. During the labor the expecting mother, along with family and friends drink coffee and burn incenses as a ritual. This is completely different then what happens here in the United States or at least from my one experienced. Surprisingly in this culture men are not involved in the delivery of their child. In our culture, the role of the husband (or father of child) during delivery is important to most couples. In the rural areas, midwives are used to assist in child birthing. My experience was  different from the child birthing experience of an Ethiopian woman. Different cultures have different views on the process of child birthing but also have many similarities. The main goal is to ensure a safe delivery for the mother and child.

         

Reference:
Molakign, A. (1996) Ethiopian cultural profile: Information about Ethiopian history, culture and  
           community with emphasis on health related issues. Retrieved from EthnoMed website: 
           http://ethnomed.org/culture/ethiopian/copy_of_ethiopian-cultural-profile