Five cultural beliefs associated with pregnancy/prenatal development - Essay Example

Cultural beliefs associated with pregnancy Different cultures have different views concerning prenatal development and pregnancy. The variations of beliefs are fascinating, and various cultures can play a major significant in how women can approach labor pain. The paper discusses five religious and cultural beliefs that are associated with prenatal development and pregnancy.Christians believe that women labor pain can be observed in conjunction with the intentions of God. The intentions may inspire women to ignore labor, suffering since it is part of God’s intention.

In various cultures such as the Mediterranean and Middle East areas, expressions of emotions are loud. The cries and screams of women while in labor pains are expected to be uncontrollable. In such cases, the belief does not equate to the requirement of pain relief. Many people believe that the cries and screams are expression of labor pain and a way of communication to the support client that the woman requires sympathy and love.Also, the people of Japan believe that expression of emotions by women is conservative.

The women may not express much suffering in her labor periods, but feels the pain. In the Japanese culture, expression of such emotions may compose and calm down a woman, but the woman could graciously tell her support client after the birth the pains she underwent during labor. In addition, the Japanese believe that during pregnancy, a woman needs a diet of tofu, fish, fresh vegetable, and soup. Japanese think that the food is necessary since it initiates positive thinking towards pregnancy (Arnault 8).

Currently, western culture views labor pain as a thing that should be put to an end since the labor pain embraces medical labor relief. Western culture considers putting labor pain to an end, irrespective of the growing trend of natural therapies in reducing labor pain in women. Western people believe that using natural therapies to relieve pain results in side effects. In addition, western people believe that their culture have an influence on labor pain and take various forms. Some of the forms were practiced in the past decades, while others are still being practiced to date.

Some of the practices include suffering, silence, counting starts, birth noises, and special breathing procedures (Keil 317-321). Hispanic’s beliefs and myths are fascinating with cultural beliefs associated with pregnancy. Hispanic believes that if a woman puts a hand on the head, there will be strangling of the umbilical cord of the baby. Also, they believe that if an individual come across an ugly object while they are pregnant, the baby will be ugly. A compilation of the Hispanic’s beliefs and myths are much worse when it comes to a matter of bathing while pregnant.

A woman cannot bath while pregnant since they think that the dirty water will reach the baby (Keil 299-323). Also, Chinese believe that working adhesively may cause complications during delivery and hammering nails is believed to be the causative agent for the deformity in the woman’s fetus. Also, expression in language must be avoided in Chinese culture since it can curse the baby. Chinese further believe that consuming “sharp” food like pineapple can cause miscarriage in a pregnant woman.

On the other hand, eating crab and squid by pregnant woman can lead to giving birth to a mischievous child (Overmyer 147-155). In conclusion, some of the religious and cultural beliefs discussed in the paper show that each community have their beliefs and myths concerning pregnancy. I think the beliefs and myths are fascinating from one culture to another. From the discussion, one can understand that religious and cultural beliefs can affect the interpretation and perception of women’s pain.

Religious and cultural beliefs can also dictate how women should behave during the whole process of labor as well as accepting all the choices they make about their pain relief. Work CitedArnault, Denise Saint. Health Beliefs in Japanese Culture. The Nurse Practitioner 24.Supplement, 1999. Print. Keil, J. M., and C. A. Christie-Mizell. Beliefs, Fertility, and Earnings of African American, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White Mothers. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 30. 3 (2008), 299-323. Print.Overmyer, Daniel L.

Proceedings of [the] International Conference on Popular Beliefs and Chinese Culture. Journal of Chinese Religions, 23. 1 (1995), 147-155. Print.