Negative Effects of Divorce on Children

This week, I chose the stressor of divorce on children. My parents divorced several months BEFORE I was born.  Now, it might be assumed that I didn't know life any other way, so how could this be a stressor?  Well, my mother chose for me to not get to know my father.  They didn't get along, so I was not allowed to have contact with him and he was allowed no contact with me.  It was the 70's and the issues of paternal rights weren't what they are today.
As a young child I felt the stress of watching my mother try to be a single mom.  I love my mom and she has always been a great mother.  However, we struggled to make ends meet at times.  Her stress became my stress.  I also noticed at a young age that I was different.  I didn't even have so much as a picture of what my father looked like. When other children would make crafts for father's day, I would do something different.  I wanted to be like other children who had a daddy.
My mother got remarried when I was 9 years old.  this did not fill the gap, as this person did not treat me like their own child.  I would have to say it made the gap bigger.  Also, from being so close to my mom for 9 years and having to share her with no one, I had a terrible time adjusting to her getting married, moving to a new town and a few months later having a new sister.  
I always felt as though I was an intruder in "their" family.  I was the one who didn't fit.  I always felt that if maybe I knew my dad, I would have someone else in my life to identify with.
So even though I was not there to witness the breakdown of my parents' marriage, the effects of their divorce followed me throughout my life.
I chose to look up the effects of divorce on Chinese children. According to the article I Did, But Now I Don't,"During a study of divorced children within China, researchers concluded that children from divorced families were less-adjusted-based upon levels of depression and anxiety-than individuals from families which were intact (I did but.., 2011)." In China, teachers report children of divorced families as having more discipline problems and that teenagers seems to show negative signs such as withdraw from their peers, aggression and negative emotional issues.  However, in China, it is considered to be disgraceful to get divorced.  Therefore, the negative impact of the divorce falls upon not only the divorced parents, but the children as well.  There are financial stressors that come with divorce in China also.  Many times, alimony and child support are not rewarded as it is in the United States.  This can cause financial hardships on families, especially if one parent was the bread winner.  Financial stressors also effect children.
The United States and China have something in common in terms of the topic of divorce.  In both countries, the ripple effect of the divorce is felt not just by the divorcees, but by the children.  Unfortunately, it is often felt for years to come.






References:


I did but now I don't;divorce and its negative impact on society. (2011, February 04). Retrieved from http://siteslab.org/pitjournal/node/703

Child Development and Public Health

I chose the topic of mental health of mothers, fathers and families in general.  I chose this topic because I think for a long time it was something that was not to be discussed and it was looked upon in a negative light.  mental health does not mean mental illness.  I truly believe mental health is important to maintain, especially for mothers and fathers, because their mental health can be a major factor in the development of a child.
We have read about how parents should take care of their mental health in the United States, but I chose to research the topic of mental health in Japan.  the author of the article I chose is a filmmaker from Japan.  After trying to juggle too much in his life at once, his doctor told him he suffered from "burn-out".  In Japan, people don't view any type of mental health breakdown in a positive light at all.  This opened the filmmakers eyes to the fact that being severely stressed out and needing a break and some sleep was considered to be a mental "illness" in Japan.  This sense of shame prevents many people from seeking any help or treatment which only makes the problems worse.  Even having an eating disorder is considered a shameful mental illness. 
What I have learned from this is that people need to not feel shameful about mental health.  Something as simple as stress is a mental health issue.  Expectant mothers who don't learn to cope with stress can cause harm to their child's development.  I hope to be able to further educate myself on mental health.  Perhaps one day I will be able to advise a class for expectant mothers on the importance of their mental health and ways in which not only they, but their child can benefit also.


Reference
Priestly, I. (2009, March 23). New documentary explores taboo subject of mental illness in japan. Retrieved from http://www.japantoday.com/catagory/art-culture/view/new-documentary-explores-taboo-subject-of-mental-illness-in-japan

Childbirth-In My Life and Around the World

My Personal Story:


My personal story is about the birth of my only child, Emilee.  I found out I was pregnant with Emilee in November of 2003.  After going to my midwife for the initial round of testing, I was given the information that I had the Anti-M antibody in my blood.  Basically, this anti-body can be release and passed through the placenta. It will attack your baby's red blood cells and can kill the child.  Throughout my pregnancy, my midwife worked closely with a fellow obstetrician to monitor me.  Every month (for the first five months), I had blood drawn and my titers in my blood monitored.  At month five, there was a rise in my titer count, which resulted in bi-weekly non-stress tests and bi-weekly titer blood draws. 
At 38 weeks, I went in for an exam.  Due to Emilee's size (she was already almost 8 pounds) and the fact that my doctor didn't want to push our good luck with my Anti-M problem, she scheduled me to go to the labor and delivery unit that evening.  I would be induced.
When we arrived at the hospital, the nurses got me settled and hooked me up to a fetal heart monitor.  The reading was all over the place.  They thought they had a bad machine and moved me to another room.  The same thing happened in the new room.  they asked if I was a smoker, which I am not.  This was cause for alarm because her heart rate would go down to 120, then up to 190 and then spike down again.  They called in my midwife and the doctor she had been working with and after looking through my fetal heart monitor feeds, the doctor had informed me that the Anti-M antibody had actually started attacking the baby.  Within and hour, Emilee was delivered via c-section.  Special care doctors were in the room to be on the cautious side, but Emilee was born at 9:25 pm, July 22nd, 2004.  She was a healthy 7lb, 15 oz.  

I will always be grateful  for the care I was given and the quick reaction time my physicians had.  I chose this example because of how important I feel that it is for mothers to have proper prenatal care.  I believe the care a mother receives during this time can impact the development of their child.  Without care, I would have never known I had this condition and more than likely, Emilee would not be here today.
Reportedly, the seven-billionth person on Earth was born on Monday morning in the Philippines.  This prompted me to research a typical birthing experience in that country.  What I found is that although hospital births are advised in the Philippines, that an average of 62% of women chose to give birth at home.  This is quite interesting to me as that would never be an option I would want.  Many of them do have help from a midwife or a birthing assistant.  For some, this is a choice, but for others, they live too far from a medical facility or cannot afford for a medical facility to help them.  Many of the women do consult a midwife early on in their pregnancy.  If the medical provider finds that a home birth could be complicated, they do try to persuade the mother to give birth in a facility.  However, ultimately, it is the mother's choice.  If a home birth is chosen, midwives will bring a birth kits that provided supplies that might be needed.  Mothers are asked to have a desk lamp to be able to check the  perineum and to have a portable heater on hand.  Once the baby is delivered and the placenta is taken care of, the midwife will typically leave the parents alone with the child for some bonding time ("Homebirth," 2009).  This greatly differs from my story.  As soon as Emilee was born, she was wisked away to be checked by the special care team.  I then went into recovery for an hour and I was unable to hold her.  It was over two hours after her birth that I was able to hold her at all.  I think when possible, parents and babies need to have bonding time.
Comparing the two stories, we are the same in that we both had midwives, however, my pregnancy was also overlooked by a physician.  I believe that many of the mothers in the Philippines chose home birth to make the experience more family oriented and personal.  I applaud this, however I still believe I (if I ever had another child), would still be more comfortable in a hospital environment.  I feel there are more resources readily available if a problem would happen to arise.


Resources: 
Homebirth. (2009, February). Retrieved from http://www.babycenter.com.ph/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/homebirth/