Stress in a Child's Life

A person that I have known for many years has mentioned that her father had abused her and her siblings when they were children.  I decided to ask her how she coped with this stress in her life.  She said that she remembers her father being very strict and that he would spank them with the belt if he caught her and her sister looking out the window. They were not allowed to play outside or look out the window because her father would say that they were looking at the boys and they were not allowed to do that.  She and her siblings were not able to use the vacuum or the broom to clean their rooms, they had to get down on their hands and knees and use a hair brush to clean the carpets.  When their father left the house their mother would get out the broom and vacuum and tell them to hurry and use them before their father came back.  Sometimes her father would decide to take them on a ride and they would end up at a bar.  Her father would leave them in the car and go in to drink.  She remembers hiding on the floor of the car with her brother because it was dark and they were scared.  She and her brother fell asleep and she is not really sure how long they would be in the parking lot but it seemed like forever.

I asked her how she coped with this stress constantly in her life.  She and one of her sisters shared a room and they would talk about things that made them happy.  She also remembers that they would play with their Barbies and make mansions for them then they would pretend that they were rich and did not have any worries in the world. She also had a tall Barbie that was a tall doll and she pretended that the doll was a character from her favorite show, Battle Star Galactica, and that she and the doll were in the TV show and she could get away from reality and be free in the show.

She used her imagination to get away to a happy place so that the abuse would fade away in her mind for awhile.  She and her siblings also leaned on each other for support to get through the stress of abuse.  Her father left her mother and all the children and to this day does not have any contact with them.  She is now a mother of four grown children and she has worked very hard to provide them with a happy childhood.

In looking at another country to learn more about a stressor that is affecting children there, I decided to read more on a disease that affects a lot of children in Kenya, malaria.  According to Patterson Siema of World Vision Kenya, low birth weigh, anemia and complications of brain development that could cause mental disabilities are some of the affects that malaria has on children.  Some of the things that are being done to stop the spread of malaria are that homes are to be spayed with a biodegradable chemical that keeps the mosquitoes away.  Thousands of insecticide treated mosquito nets have been distributed to families and also families are being educated about new ways to treat malaria.

Resource
World Vision


 

Breastfeeding and Public Health

The public health topic that I feel strongly about is breastfeeding.  I think that breastfeeding is very important for mother and child because is helps to create that initial bond between them.  It also is important for the the baby to breast feed within the first hour after birth so that they receive the colostrum that their body needs to stay healthy and the immediate sucking will help to bring in the mothers milk sooner. I knew that I wanted to breast feed both of my children because of the health benefits to them.  I knew that they would get all the nutrients and anti-bodies they would need to stay healthy and to begin to grow.  I do not think that many women understand what breast feeding is all about and why it is so important.  They may feel that if the baby does not latch on right away that they are failing them somehow.  It is important that the hospital have a lactation specialist available for these new mothers who may need the assistance and encouragement.  I know as a first time Mom, I began to panic when my milk did not come in for a few days after I got home from the hospital.  I called the La Leche  League, they are a world wide organization that educates women about the importance of breastfeeding, and got some advice from another Mom who was very supportive and gave me advice.  I would like to be able to help mothers to understand the importance of breastfeeding and that they have the right to breast feed their child by making sure they have all the information they need about the importance of breast milk. I feel that children who are breast feed have a stronger immune system.

In decided to look at how France views breastfeeding compared to the United States.  In the United states women are encouraged to breast feed their infants for up to a year.  In France, they are discouraged from breast feeding their infants.  It it rare to have them continue breastfeeding after they leave the hospital or even at all.  France has the lowest breastfeeding rate compared to other countries in Europe and the United States.  The French do not believe the slogan that breast is best, but that formula is just as good as breast milk. The French believe that after pregnancy the mother should very quickly get back her before baby body and that by breastfeeding they are causing the breast to lose its appeal to her husband/partner.  Women in France are not supported if they wish to breast feed and that makes it really difficult if they are already having a slow start with it.

I think that the information that I learned will impact my work as a reminder to be mindful of what other cultures believe about children and child development.  I would respect their beliefs but at the same time start a conversation with them about child development.  I know that some people truly do not know and that they are just doing what society around them is doing.    

Sources
http://guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/01/france-breast-breastfed-baby-death
http://tracylynnconway.hubpages.com/hub/Breastfeeding-A-French-vs-American-Perspective

Childbirth: My Personal Experience compared with a Traditional Childbirth in Japan

A lot of women enjoy being pregnant and I would say that my first pregnancy went fairly well but during my second pregnancy I was very uncomfortable.  I had several complications which caused me to have to be admitted to the hospital several times before the birth.  The Doctors waited until my son was 36 weeks and decided to go ahead an start the delivery process for the safety and health of the baby and me.  Since I was not able to have an epidural due to some complications prior to delivery, I had to endure the labor pains all night.  I felt that those were manageable, but when my water broke I could not keep up with the breathing and I know I was screaming from the pain.  I was holding my husband's hand and I thought for sure I was going to break it.  The delivery happened quickly, the Dr. barely made it through the door to put gloves on and catch my son.  because of all the medication I was on it took me longer to recover than after my first pregnancy.

I choose to talk about my birthing experience because it is sometimes assumed that because you have an easy first pregnancy, that all your pregnancies will be easy.  That may be the case for some women, but not for all.  I sometimes wonder if I did not have to work through my pregnancy and was able to rest when I felt like it that maybe having less stress would have made the pregnancy go a little smoother.
I think that pregnancy is a beautiful journey that women get to travel along with their child and in most cases their husband or significant other.  Giving birth can also be a very rewarding experience.  The idea of bringing another human life into the word is awesome.  To be able to bond with your child immediately after birth is so rewarding.  My first son latched on and started nursing right away and when he heard my husbands voice he turned to look at him.  We could tell that he was happy to see his Dad and he cuddled up to both of us right away.  My second son seemed a little overwhelmed with everyone but he always seemed to calm down when my husband was holding him and he was following his older brothers voice to try to see him.  It was amazing to watch.  I think the stress of my illnesses and the fast birth affected my second son.  Babies are connected to their mothers so of course they are affected by whatever is happening to the mother at the time of pregnancy.  Everything the mother does or is exposed to could potentially affect the birth and the development of the baby not only in womb but possibly for years after.

After looking at different birthing practices around the world, I decided to take a closer look a Japan.  In Japan  it is now acceptable to have the significant other in the delivery room but that was not always the case.  It used to be customary for only the doctor and nurse to be present.  The mother is also allowed to have a "Doula" present in the delivery room.  A "Doula" is someone who the mother may have been seeing prior to delivery to help with breathing exercises and who gives also relaxing massages to help ease the discomfort of pregnancy and ease the pain of delivery. I did not have a "Doula" but I did see a massage therapist and a chiropractor during my pregnancy and that seemed to help ease the discomfort.  Japanese women strive to give birth without using any pain medication because they believe that the labor is like a test they need to go through in order to prepare them for motherhood.  Through all the pain of labor, they are not supposed to yell out during labor because this brings shame to the family.  That would take a lot of strength to not yell because for me, I felt it helped to release some of the pain or maybe it just took my mind off it. After my delivery, I was able to have a room to myself because that was the only room the hospital had available.  In Japan the recovery rooms usually have about 3 to 6 patients in them.  
It was interesting to see the customs of pregnancy and delivery of Japan.  I like the ideas of having a "Doula" to help with pregnancy and delivery.  I have not heard of anyone in my area that provides that kind of service, but I think that that would be something important to include as part of an obstetrician's office.

Web sites:
Japanese Traditions
www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNJapanese_04.html
www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?p...

The boys bonding.