I will talk about the birth of my sister, because I do not have children of my own. I think back to September 14, 1990, I had just got home from and my mother was home after being sent home from the hospital cause she had not dilated much for them to keep her in the hospital. I think back to the days when my mom would take me along with her when had a doctor appointment and how they would ask all kinds of question to find out information about her history and any problems she may have had in the past. well the day my sweetheart was born I witnessed it all because she was born in the house, there was not enough time to get my mom back to the hospital. I was sent downstairs to the police station to get a cop, and my uncle was on the phone with an operator walking us through the step to deliver my sister. Once we were able to see the head I was at aw with what just happened in front of me. This little tiny bundle of joy is here & I help to get her here. My was able to eat healthy and visit the doctor on a regular basis and stay in a very nice hospital.
Well looking across the world at China where a women who lived in the rural parts did not receive the care their counter parts did. These women in the rural areas had no prenatal care and that put the child risk for anything, such as low birth weight development problems and or death at birth. So if one lives in the best part of China you get the best of everything and rural areas get nothing.
Jin, L. and Wen, M. , 2003-08-16 "Infant Birth Weight, Prenatal Care and Community Socioeconomic Characteristics in China" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Atlanta Hilton Hotel, Atlanta, GA Online <.PDF>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p106915_index.html
Wow, Tamika!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing opportunity to witness the birth of your sibling. I imagine that had a lot to do with the now close bond that you have with your sister. Close connections within the family structure aid in the healthy development of self-sufficiency as a child develops. A child's life is embedded in the context of those who care about her (Heart, 2011).
The Heart of Early Childhood--Children and Nurturing Relationships. (2011). Laureate Education, Inc. Walden University Multimedia Program: Minneapolis, MN. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6005/03/mm/Mahaleys_Web/index.html
Tamika,
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience!!! I would have been so scared and traumatized. My older son is so close to his little sister. He would stay right by my side the whole time I was pregnant with her, and I see the same reactions with you and your sister. I read an article concerning the different ritual and births in other parts of the world and its amazing to read about their traditions and beliefs. Some of them are the same as ours here in the U.S., but some are different.
Tamika
ReplyDeleteThe story of your sister's birth reminds me of one of our family stories about my own entry into this world. I was born 8 weeks premature and when my mother went to the hospital she was told there was no way she was in labor (and that she was probably nervous because her doctor was out of town). Nearly 24 hours later she went back to the hospital where it was discovered she was fully dilated and crowning. Back in the late 60s the practice was to still shave women, do enemas and shove the fathers out into the waiting room. My mother was a pioneer of sorts as there was no time to do any of the three for my delivery.