Birthing Rituals Around the World

Since I do not have any children of my own at the time, I would like to share the birth of my nephew, Hunter. Hunter was a surprise for my brother and sister- in- law. Their daughter had just turned one, so they were not planning to have another child right away. As soon as they found, they consulted their doctor, and continued to do so throughout the pregnancy. Due to minor complications with their daughter, they wanted to stay well informed if any possible situations were to arise. My sister-in-law did have an epidural to ease the pain. Hunter is now a very loving, smart, and energetic 2^nd grader. I selected the birth of my nephew because that is the only instance in which I was in the room during the process. As someone who was a teenager at the time, this was a very scary, painful scene for me, but also a beautiful one once I met my sweet nephew. I feel having great prenatal care is so important. Doctors and parents need to be aware of the development of their child, and how to best prepare their lives for this new child.

Looking at many of the birthing rituals around the world, I found Germany’s to be very eye opening. In Germany women see midwives for prenatal care. These midwives are so highly respected that they are required to be present during the birth and the doctor is considered only optional. The actual event of giving birth is a focus in Germany. Having a c-section is, to many, considered a failure.  German women who hold jobs feel secure to know that their jobs will still be there after the birth. As soon as a women tells her employer that she is pregnant she can not be fired, which is very helpful when the economy makes a turn for the worst. A woman may stop working six weeks before the birth and is forbidden to work for eight weeks after the birth with FULL pay.  Another practice, one of the authors mentions, is the selection of names. The government keeps a list of “accepted names” that parents much follow in the attempt to avoid potential ridicule for the child.

While I do not have children, I have worked with many women who were pregnant. The benefits Germany provides are very different from what I have seen here. I have been informed by many to save all of my paid sick days and personal days, so they can be used when I have a child, otherwise I will only have a week or two of paid time off. Also, while I understanding the reasoning behind the “accepted names” I wonder how well that would go over if it were a practice here. Before looking at the different practices I never would have expected that much difference between each country. It is extremely interesting to see the focus each country puts on certain aspects of the birthing process. I encourage all to check it out http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=3