Early Childhood Stressors

The stressor I picked from the list is isolation. We typically think of isolation as a person trapped behind bars. However I realize that isolation in its most subtle form can be very damaging as well. As a child I grew up in a small community where my cousins and I lived on the same block. Our ages from the late 60s through the early 70s ranged from 8 – 17 old. During those years we had free reign throughout our community to visit each others house.  We had two rules, we could only accept food offered to us and we had to be home before dark. All of us except one particular cousin took advantage of the freedom but, this particular cousin always stayed home with her pets. Almost any type of animal you could think of she had it. She had a horse that was kept on a farm, rabbits, dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, baby turtles, baby alligators, snakes, birds, and even a monkey! If I wanted to see her, I had to go to her house and when her father came home I had to leave. She never had friends and I always wondered why my cousin never wanted to go to socials, parks and or ballgames. The answer to that question manifested years later when it was discovered that she was being molested by her father. Although sexual abuse would be considered a stressor, my cousin was also being isolated from her peers as her father used my cousin’s affection for animals to keep her at home. My cousin coped with this situation through her love for animals. She took very good care of them, nurtured them, talked with them and, slept with them. They were her comfort. The effects of the sexual abuse and isolation resulted in two unsuccessful marriages and broken relationships and she is currently taking several medications for brain problems.   

Out of curiosity I chose to explore childhood stressors in American inner cities. I discovered that many children suffer from pediatric asthma due their environments (Washington & Lee, 2010).  The biosocial effects of this disease effects brain development as the over production of cortisol is produced in the brain and gross motor skills are impaired due to the limitations regarding physical activity (Berger, 2009). Cognition is impaired due to the inability to concentrate and children fall behind on homework due to missing days from school due to illness. (Washington & Lee, 2010) Psychosocial development is impaired due to low self esteem from getting poor grades and not being able to form relationships with peers due to absenteeism  (Washington & Lee, 2010). Coping with this disease require support for the entire family as opposed to medicating children and sending them back into the same environment.  Unfortunately parents are at a disadvantage and have little control over neighbors who smoke etc. due to the lack of finances to move to a more desirable place. Unfortunately coping for these children consist of living one day at a time.

Public health Topic/ Breastfeeding

For this blog assignment I chose breastfeeding as my public health topic because of the many benefits infants reap from breastfeeding. Breast milk has been proven to contain  iron, vitamins and nutrients for the brain and body and antibodies that protect babies from illnesses and diseases that the mother is immune to. Breast milk also decreases the risk of childhood diseases such as obesity, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes only to name a few. I was also amazed to learn that the risk of developing an infectious disease due to not breastfeeding an infant is greater than the risk of a mother nursing her infant who is HIV positive. WOW! Other benefits for the infant is that it is easily digested, and I now I know that the milk's properties and quantity change to adjust to the baby's age. Babies benefit emotionally too, as bonding takes place between the mother and the infant and the infant and mother both experience a sense of pleasure during breastfeeding. As a mother myself I chose to breast feed both of my children. I lasted only three months with the first one but went up to 1 yr with the second one. This was due to two things. My first child would get full quick and I would be left with engorged breast to massage. But my second child was greedy! Personally I loved it. It was the 1980s and I can remember being in church, holding a blanket over my shoulder while I nursed my daughter so no one could see. I also remember hearing comments about going to a secluded area to do it.

The country I chose to explore is Canada. Public policy now protects women's rights to breastfeed anywhere and at any time. Women can no longer be asked to move, cover up or go to a more discrete place. Employees must accommodate breastfeeding mothers by providing them the space and the time.

In Canada there is an organization named INFACT Canada-Infant Feeding Action Coalition. This national non-governmental organization works to protect infant and young child health as well as maternal well-being through the promotion and support of breastfeeding and optimal infant feeding practices. For more information please visit http://www.infactcanada.ca/about.htm

Below are two posters promoting breastfeeding in Canada. To see more visit http://www.infactcanada.ca/mall/Posters_first.ASP

The information I have learned will be useful in my future work as I am now more informed about the many reasons why breastfeeding is better to my colleagues, mothers to be. After finishing my studies, I hope to become a Child development instructor at a college or work with the teen parent population in some capacity. The information I have learned will enable me to educate others about why breastfeeding is best.

Child Birth in China

In China the birthing experiences for the locals lacks privacy. Mothers to be are often examined in the presence of other patients waiting in line. This includes procedures such as ultrasounds and even a pelvic exam. Women in labor are lined up in delivery rooms with glass windows for visitors to see. Males are not allowed in the delivery rooms and the doctors are women. Unlike here in the U.S., cesarean incisions are made vertically, and in most hospitals women's hands are tied to prevent them from moving while getting an epidural. And an episiotomy is left to heal on it's own without stitches. All I can say is wow! This is very different from my personal experience in the U.S. Unlike China I had privacy and my husband was allowed to be present in the delivery room. The insight I've gained is that the birthing experience in China must have been very stressful for the women. The impact of stress of course transfers to the baby as well. The only similarity I see is that the visitors in China do not receive this type of care but only the locals. Likewise, the U.S. has social classes as well. The better one's insurance, the better service one receives.

My Personal Birthing Experience

The birthing experience I wish to share is the birth of my firstborn daughter.  During my pregnancy I  read a book about the Lamaze technique (breathing properly during natural childbirth). After reading this book, I decided I would have a natural childbirth. It was Valentines day 1983. I was visiting my mother and drawing Valentine pictures with my four year old nephew while sitting on the couch. When I began to experience a deep dull ache in the lower part of my uterus, I went to the bathroom and discovered a brownish red discharge. I can't remember how I got to the hospital but upon arrival I was admitted and given a gown to put on. It was around 5:45 pm. I was taken to the labor room with a television mounted on the wall. I remember being hooked up to some sort of machine to monitor the contractions. I can still remember the slow rhythmic sound of that machine, and then speeding up when a contraction occurred. The nurse checked me to see how I was dilating from time to time. By this time my husband arrived. The next thing I know, I am being wheeled to the delivery room. My husband goes in with me. The room is cold and dim all around, but the lights over me felt warm. I remember the nurse telling me not to push, but when the male doctor arrives I am told to push with all I have. So after pushing with every bit of strength I had, my daughter was born at 7:30 pm. on Valentine's day. The next experience I remember was the removal of the afterbirth which worse than the child birth. The nurse used her fist to dig deeply into my naval. Since this was so long ago, I am sure I'm leaving out some details. Next I was take to my room. I remember the nurse educating me about breast care and breast feeding. I was concerned that I did not make milk right away. But she assured me that the colostrum was enough. The doctor came to follow up. He was in my room for about 5 minutes. All of the medical staff were nice and encouraging. I chose my own example because it was my first experience delivering a baby. My thoughts about childbirth is that yes it is a natural event but in contrast to having a baby at home vs a hospital, I would prefer to have my child at a hospital in case complications were to occur. I think it would be hard for me to lose a child during childbirth knowing that access to medical technology could have made the difference.