Consequences of Stress

The only major stressor from the list that I recall experiencing as a child is natural disaster.  When I was a child, I was often home alone after school until my parents returned from work.  One day, there was a big thunderstorm as I was walking home from school.  I got home and started to watch TV, but the power went out.  Being little and home alone, I was very scared.  I remember hearing the tornado siren in our neighborhood go off.  I ran to the basement and sat in a corner to wait out the tornado.  My hands were shaking and I was crying because I was so nervous about the storm and possible tornado.  The whole situation lasted probably an hour before my mom was able to get to me from work. 

I know that this is nothing like a hurricane Katrina-type disaster.  There were really no after effects of the storm on our house or the neighborhood.  I was, however, scared of storms for a very long time after that incident.  I compensated for my fear of storms by staying home when it was storming out.  I even slept on the floor in my parents’ bedroom when there was any kind of bad weather.  While it wasn’t a huge natural disaster, it still had an effect on me growing up.  I cannot imagine how a child might be shaped or influenced by a real natural disaster.  It must be very hard for them to cope with the traumatic event.

For my research of another country, I chose to look at Africa.  One of the major stressors facing children in Africa is hunger.  Many children in Africa are facing hunger because of poverty.  To fight the growing issue of hunger in Africa, many organizations are working to send food and money.  There are also organizations that allow people to sponsor children, learn about their lives, and contribute money to help feed them.  UNICEF is one organization working to provide relief to children in Africa.  I also read an article that talked about the types of things mothers are being forced to provide for their children because they have nothing else.  The article talked about mothers having to pick leaves and berries to feed their children.  They spend all day finding and picking them, and the leaves and berries are hard, bitter, and nearly inedible.  It is sad to hear stories about the amount of poverty and hunger facing children in other countries.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/05/facing-hunger-crisis-in-west-africa-families-pick-leaves-berries-to-survive/

http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm

 

Breastfeeding

This week, I chose to look at breastfeeding.  Many of my friends are new moms and are currently breastfeeding their babies.  I think that breastfeeding is talked about much more now than it was in the past.  The openness with which people talk about nursing their babies has showed me how complicated it is.  I never realized that there was so much to it!  With all of these new moms, I’m hearing all about milk not coming in, trouble breastfeeding, and different products that they use.  I also see how differently every mom goes about feeding their baby in public.  I have some friends who need to nurse in a completely separate room and others who will carry on a conversation uncovered.  I was interested to learn more about views on breastfeeding in other countries.

When I began to research breastfeeding, I found facts about its many benefits.  Breast milk carries all the nutrients a baby needs in its first six months and had antibodies that help fight disease (Unicef, 2005).  Mother and baby create a special bond while breastfeeding.  This bond leads to a healthy attachment and healthy growth later in life. 

In the North America and Western Europe, breastfeeding in public is seen as very taboo.  This is because breasts are associated with sex.  “In many other countries, breasts are seen as functional, so it is not immodest for them to be uncovered” (Attachment Across Cultures, 2002).  It was interesting to read that different cultures had such different views.  I also read that in places like Africa and South Asia, they have a time of postpartum rest where the family and community members help out to allow time for mom and baby to form attachments and focus on feeding.  This is generally a 30-40 day period (Attachment Across Cultures, 2002).

 

My current line of work (Kindergarten teacher) does not require me to have extensive knowledge on this topic.  While it might not be immediately useful to my career, I would love to share the information I have learned with my friends who are new moms. 

Attachment Across Cultures.  (2002).  Breastfeeding, Culture, and Attachment.  Retrieved July 13, 2013 from http://www.attachmentacrosscultures.org/beliefs/bfeed_culture.pdf

Unicef. (2005, January). Nutrition: Breastfeeding.  Retrieved July 13, 2013 from http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_24824.html

Birthing Experiences

My good friend Leah recently had a beautiful baby boy. She and her husband were well prepared from the start. They attended birthing classes and read many books. While Leah wanted to try delivering without an epidural, she and Brian discussed that having an epidural would not mean her plan was a failure. They went into the whole experience in a very calm manner.

On the day of her son’s birth, Leah wasn't feeling well. Her husband asked if she wanted to go to the hospital, and she thought they should, just to be sure. In the car, Leah began having contractions. By the time they got to the hospital, the nurse informed her that she was fully dilated and effaced. She was going to have her baby very soon. The doctor was called and Leah was brought into the birthing room. She got her gown on and lay in bed. As soon as the doctor arrived, he informed her she was too far along for an epidural and would need to begin pushing. Leah pushed for only 10 minutes before baby Louis was born.

I was shocked at how quickly Leah gave birth. Many first babies take hours, but she had him 30 minutes after checking into the hospital. I was also surprised by the limited interaction the doctor had in the birth. Nurses were with Leah constantly, but the doctor came in just to “catch” the baby.

For my comparison, I chose to look at births in Sweden. I found that in Sweden, midwifes take care of every step of the birth process. The doctor there is even less involved, only coming in to check on the baby or assist if there are major complications. Save the Children rated Sweden the safest place in the world to give birth. Their c-section rate is around 17%, where the US is around 31%. The major difference I found was that in Sweden, your hospital stay and medical care is free. Hospitals are considered more "homey" and families are well taken care of. From what I read, the experience is much more of a celebration than a medical procedure.

References:

http://blogs.transparent.com/swedish/giving-birth-in-sweden/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/health/best-worst-birth-places