cultural beliefs about pregnancy and birth in japan cultural beliefs about pregnancy and birth in japan

2023 Jan 9;9:942331. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.942331. Invariably, the health care that a mother receives during pregnancy, at the time of delivery, and soon after delivery is important for the survival and well-being of both the mother and her child. Providing the individual transcripts will breech the confidentiality and anonymity requirement during ethical approval. The sequence of events that followed is not entirely clear, but according to Mrs. Koga, she carried the infant outside and laid him on the bank of a pond. In Bangladesh, an earlier study reported that confinement of the mother and baby was observed until noai ceremony on day 7 or 9 to protect the baby against any evil (Winch et al., Citation2005). for that one it is like a satanic illness, instead of the baby growing big after forty days, the baby will be growing small, soft body with Asram and the fontanelle is not closing up so when you are pregnant you must see those who have these medicines, they will give you herbs to drink and also use to prepare soup so even if someone wants to harm your baby after delivery it wont work (Woman with child under five, FGD). government site. If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see this FAQ. Table 1. I put hot water compresses on the fontanelle because it is soft and so when I do that it helps to make it strong and also close the gap in the fontanelle. In relation to sexual practices after birth, participants generally agreed that the practice could vary among couples. However, in higher risk cases such as where the mother is pregnant with twins or is older, the private hospital may advise delivery at a general hospital. With the vouchers, the cost of these check-ups roughly breaks down as follows but costs vary depending on the hospital or clinic, as well as the medical diagnosis. All interested researchers/readers/persons who meet the criteria for access to confidential data can access the data set from the corresponding author via this email address: easampong@ug.edu.gh. That is the reason why I delivered at the TBAs place. The following quotes are illustrations of that belief: When a woman gives birth, she develops a wound which will have to be treated. In all, 94 individuals participated in the study. Whereas some indicated that sexual intercourse could begin 40 days after delivery, many of them noted they started having sex 3 months after delivery. You can now start your regular checkups. when I am pregnant with a boy, he lies on the right side of the womb and girl lies on the left side. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. They use uncooked cocoyam and they make a hole in it and they put water and salt in the hole theyve made, they put the water on the cord and within three days it will come off (Woman with child under five, FGD). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Here are some pregnancy beliefs and customs from different parts of the world. Thus, during economic downturns, being pregnant can essentially save your job. As a person adopts new behaviours, it causes changes in both the environment and in the person. We are very fertile here so we all have children and if anyone is not having a child then it is probably the kind of life she had lived and the family planning too if you use it, it can destroy your womb because when you use it for a long period of time, it remains in your blood and it will take long to for it to leave your system for you to get pregnant again (Woman with child under five, FGD). The studys findings showed that socio-cultural beliefs and practices are widespread covering antenatal through childbirth to the postnatal period. You will have to wait for at least forty days before having sex or sometimes for three to six months after birth (Elderly woman, FGD). There are no baby showers in Turkeycelebrations are postponed until after the little one is born. At the ceremony the parents take turns feeding the baby, wishing he/she will have abundance of food throughout his/her life. Mom and baby stay home for 20 days after the delivery, and friends stop by and also sip serbeti. The IDI guide also contained items such as perception of neonatal illness, how health care is sought, and practices. English versions of the Maternity and Children Health Handbook are also available. Choudry, U. K. (1997). The demerits are that waiting times for checkups can sometimes be longer, you may not see the same doctor each time you go, and the food and general level of service might not be as good as at the private hospitals and clinics. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. In adopting SCT, the researchers recognised that socio-cultural beliefs are learnt from the community through a complex, interactive system of physical processes such as observation and modeling (Hammer, Citation2011). Again, 2.9 million neonates die, with three-quarters of these deaths taking place in the first 7 days of life (UNICEF, Citation2012). Also off limits: names that can negatively affect babys well-being (for example, Apple). The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the most common traditional practices in Asia relating to pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Consultation hours also differ; notably, not all places offer appointments at the weekend. They interpret this as good practice that is beneficial to them in some way or another. In the eighth month, two visits are to be done and then weekly visits during the final month, culminating in 1213 visits overall. This differs by hospital but it seems that between 100,000 ($736) and 200,000 ($1,472) is common (more on costs later). Consequently, when women are pregnant and the size of the uterus appears bigger in comparison with the number of months of pregnancy, then it meant that a male child was expected. For the girl, I vomit a lot but a boy I dont, its only my soles that swell (Woman with child under five, FGD). Global Health and Human Rights for a Postpandemic World. Findings: A participant shared her experience with the quote: When I gave birth, my baby was not well but we managed the condition at home I was afraid sending the baby to the hospital would expose her to witches in the community (Woman with child under five). 2022 Nov 3;13:961707. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.961707. These positions are shown with the following quotes: It depends on every individual; I sometimes indulge in sex six months after delivery (Postnatal woman, FGD). For example, doctors who are not fluent in a patients primary language should enlist the help of an interpreter. The process of pregnancy and childbirth is permeated with strong cultural practices and traditional beliefs that impact maternal healthcare utilisation (Houweling et al., Citation2007; Rice, Citation2000). To learn more see our FAQ. In the light of these, health education offered to women during ANC visits should highlight the necessity for the continuum of care that includes skilled attendance at birth and postnatal care. Typically, you will need to have your regular check-ups at the hospital or clinic where you will deliver from about the 32nd week of your pregnancy, regardless. Traditional beliefs and practices in pregnancy and childbirth are prevalent in Asia. Some of the foods mentioned were included ripped plantain, okra and oranges. Newborn health also constitutes a human right as specified in the Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, Citation2013). Once 20 days have passed, mother and baby visit the homes of gift givers, where they receive a handkerchief filled with candy (for a good-natured baby) and an egg (for a healthy one). Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 13(1), 15-26. While some participants mentioned their use of modern contraceptive methods, others preferred the natural family planning methods as illustrated with the quotes below: What I see is if the man wants to sleep with you and you dont use any medicine you can easily give birth even if you have a small baby already. The quotes below reflect this belief: When we deliver, we dont eat orange because of the wounds we get after birth and it also drains the breast milk . These herbs are extracts from the leaves and bark of some trees in the community, described locally as awuo mre aduro meaning medicines that make delivery easy. Some measures are therefore taken to protect the neonate against any such thing in the community. However, certain beliefs tend to make these moments also prone to certain rituals and concealment, all in an attempt to ensure that there is no mishap during any of these periods. Most Japanese women aim to deliver their baby sans painkillers, an ancient belief that stems from the Buddhist belief that labor pains must be endured as a test to prepare for the difficulties of motherhood. FGD guide was developed to solicit information on the socio-cultural practices during pregnancy, preparation for labour, during labour and after delivery. Once your pregnancy is confirmed, the first thing you should do is go to your city office to collect your Maternity and Children Health Handbook, as described above. Food restrictions were also reported during pregnancy. A codebook was first developed for the main themes and sub-themes from preliminary reading through the transcripts. In those instances, doctors should direct all questions and comments to the patient, not the interpreter, to establish a connection and foster lasting, positive health care relationships. Anytime I get pregnant it does not stay, so I was told it is because when you are pregnant and you go out people will look at you with evil eyes to spoil your pregnancy. Each group consisted of between 8 and 10 individuals and the participants sat in a horse-shoe fashion with the moderator and rapporteur sitting in the middle. In all the interviews, participants were of the view that a baby had to be confined until the official outdooring and naming was done. This social practice restricts the mother and the neonate from seeking health care outside the home thus preventing the continuum of care during the neonatal period. As a result, confinement during early pregnancy was a common practice as shown in the quote. Children of foreign nationals born in Japan are granted permission to stay for 60 days without any status of residence. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. The study concludes that socio-cultural beliefs are common and transcend the entire peripartum period. This referral letter, along with test results, will then be submitted to the new hospital. In P. L. Rice & L. It is for that reason that a participant indicated the choice for people to utilise the TBA outlets. If the home test from the pharmacy is positive, then youll want to have a doctor confirm the result. Our intake team asks about vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and other needs and preferences in order to optimize nutrition and increase comfort during their stay. So, to respect the patients wishes and properly care for her baby, we partitioned the room with screens the male doctor could be present without invading the patients privacy. Data from the WHO show that preterm birth accounts for 30% of the global neonatal deaths, sepsis, or pneumonia for 27%, birth asphyxia for 23%, congenital abnormality for 6%, neonatal tetanus for 4%, diarrhoea for 3%, and other causes for 7% of all neonatal deaths. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify these beliefs and practices and how they affect maternal and child health care services. Families here still practice a folkloric custom where a spoon, knife and fork are placed under three different chairs, and the mom-to-be chooses one to sit on. Their findings, published in the journal Midwifery, found many Asian women continue to practice a wide range of traditional beliefs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Japan is also one of a handful of countries where episiotomy is still widely practiced. When guests visit, the couple serves a traditional snack called *beschuit met muisjes (biscuits with mice). Secondly, because each pregnancy requires a different level of care there cannot be a fixed fee. However, there are some things that remain taboo in certain parts of the world. The following quotes illustrate some participants view about this: When you give birth to the baby and the eyes and palms are yellow, it is normal because of the change in the environment of baby. To enjoy our content, please include The Japan Times on your ad-blocker's list of approved sites. However, neonates with these conditions may not have access to good medical care because of the mandatory confinement as a way of protecting the baby against evil eyes. Participants in this study revealed some socio-cultural practices that were observed for women after child birth. The SCT proposes that behaviour change describes a dynamic, ongoing process in which personal factors, environmental factors, and human behaviour exert influence on each other. Before Would you like email updates of new search results? The reason for thinking about these totals is to consider the many different cultural beliefs and practices that coexist in the United States, and thus the many different views that can come together in a family, particularly at the time of pregnancy. Some will be able to provide regular checkups including ultrasounds and blood tests, but require the expecting mother to deliver at another hospital; others will specialize in something else entirely. Nakayama, N. 1996. The Japan Taxi app is okay in the Tokyo area but its not something I would want to rely on in an emergency. 1970; Damo 1972). In addition, participants indicated that swelling of the feet was sign that the baby in the uterus was a male. These conditions become fatal during the first week of life and require prompt attention. These social practices tend to affect utilisation of some essential maternal and child health practices. For three weeks after childbirth, it is traditional for the new mother to recover in her parents' home, staying in bed. Instead the immigration bureau will accept a certificate or receipt from your embassy showing that you have applied for one. The companies charge around 500 on top of the metered charge for the service. This can be done even if your child does not yet have a passport. I also have some medicine that I apply on the babys body for it to disappear (TBA, IDI). A pilot study was conducted in the Greater Accra region. 1995 Jan-Feb;26(1):22-32. As mentioned above, women spend on average six days in hospital for childbirth in Japan. The herbs they say makes the baby strong .we have some we take through the anus, called Awuo mre aduro, and for this one they claim it makes you have smooth delivery. Parents buy a full set of new red dishes for a boy or new black dishes for a girl to serve the meal. One must therefore protect herself against unplanned pregnancy. Further, it was revealed that socio-cultural practices such as not crossing rivers and confinement made some women not show up for ANC. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). In the hospital they make you lie down and raise your leg. Youll need to find a clinic (more on the medical institutions below) and make your first appointment. That works only when someone wants to be treated the same way as you. This means more clothes, more personal items (e.g. Various cultures' practices about childbirth are briefly discussed. Of the 830 daily maternal deaths, 550 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and 180 in Southern Asia, compared to 5 in developed countries (WHO, Citation2016). It didnt work. The topic of sexuality has become more mainstream, but conversations can become awkward quickly without a culturally competent provider. Local knowledge and derived practices of safety during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: a qualitative study among nurse-midwives in urban eastern Tanzania. Some of these social practices tend to affect utilisation of some essential maternal and child health practices. Hospitals and clinics sometimes have certain rules and conditions by which families must abide. The study found squatting position is one of the reasons for the use of TBA facilities. The following quotes are reflections of those views: Sometimes when you go for them and you later on decide to give birth and want to take it out, it can break your womb and render you barren (Woman with under five child, FGD). Sharma S, van Teijlingen E, Hundley V, Angell C, Simkhada P. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. The Japanese believe that babies who cry loud and often are healthier and will grow much faster. For my first born, it was so difficult when I delivered in the hospital (Postnatal woman, FGD). Mwakawanga DL, Mwilike B, Kaneko M, Shimpuku Y. BMJ Open. The various ethnic groups have different cultural beliefs and practices towards prenatal, antenatal, and peripartum periods. Protecting pregnancy from evil forces resulted in the practice of confinement and consequently late initiation of antenatal care. Japanese women are advised to have prenatal visits every 4 weeks through 23 weeks gestation, every 2 weeks from 24 to 35 weeks, and every week after 36 weeks, for a total of 14 prenatal visit for a low to medium risk pregnancy. Also take your Maternity and Children Health Handbook because you will given a small certificate which you should cut out and stick in your handbook.