I'm 14 weeks preggo today! Yeah Boy!
As I was reading the July 2010 edition of Pregnancy & Newborn I was engrossed by an article titled "Passport to Pregnancy" by Amanda McKinley. In the article McKinley shares the ancient traditions and cultural beliefs that involve motherhood and pregnancy from around the world. In this post I will share a few of the facts that I found the most captivating.
Did You Know?
- Vertical Birthing In the Western world, giving birth while lying on one's back is typically recommended, as it allows doctors and nurses to safely control the birthing process; however, in other parts of the world, an upright birthing position is the norm. (This makes PERFECT sense!!) In fact, 80% of ethnic groups in AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA, and ASIA, bring their babies into the world from a vertical stance, since the downward pull helps the uterus dilate and the baby emerge.
{I told my sister I will definitely be standing up to deliver our baby. She laughed so hard and told me I better make sure I let my doctor and the delivery staff know before I stand up on the bed. :)}
- Sex Therapy The Hua of NEW GUINEA believe that frequent sex is instrumental to the healthy development of budding babies, so expectant moms are required to maintain regular lovemaking schedules.
{Now I wonder if this is a male construct and not something pregnant woman readily endorse.}
- Baby Showers In CHINA gift-giving before birth is considered very unlucky- not to mention you could be stepping on the grandmother's toes. In EGYPT 7 days after baby arrives, parents throw a sebou to celebrate the birth. During this event, the new baby receives his or her name, religious gifts and jewelry are brought for the baby and new mom. In Japan friends and family don't meet the new addition or bestow gifts of money on the new parents until mom and baby have had ample time to bond and heal. The French language does not include a term for "baby shower". In France, organized celebrations and gifts are not typical before a child's first birthday.
{I totally love the idea of receiving jewelry for giving birth.}
- Baby Name The most common baby name in the world is MUHAMMAD. The name has over 14 official spellings, means "one who is praiseworthy," and is used in many Arabic countries not only as a formal name, but as a polite way of addressing a man whose name you don't know.
- Breast Feeding Breastfeeding is practiced in almost every society around the globe. 77 % of AMERICANS, 92.4% of SOUTH AMERICAS, 94.5% of ASIANS, and 98.4% of AFRICANS use nursing as the primary means of feeding their newborns.
{I cannot for the life of me understand why a woman who is physically able to produce milk and nurse would BUY a chemical based substance to nourish their newborn. It's just crazy to me.}
- Time Off A 2008 report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that many countries offer between three months and one year of paid leave. Here are some of the front-runners:
SWEDEN 47 Weeks*
GERMANY 47 Weeks
NORWAY 44 Weeks
GREECE 34 Weeks
FINLAND 32 Weeks
JAPAN 26 Weeks
ITALY 25 Weeks
FRANCE 22 Weeks
IRELAND 21 Weeks
DENMARK 20 Weeks
*Amount of paid parental leave for two-parent families.
{I'm feeling really deprived with my measly 6 weeks paid maternity leave.}
All verbiage taken directly from the article. My comments are enclosed within brackets.
