Violence

I choose Violence. I remember when I was younger, my aunt's fiancee had his two nieces move in with us temporarily until family services came and took them and place them in a foster home. Their mother was jailed for child abuse. The two girls who were older than me were placed in foster homes. I remember coming home from school and crying because they were gone. Eventually, their mother married and had another child. She never got custody back of the girls. Then she went to prison for killing the last child she had. She hung the two year od on a door knob by his suspenders and beat him with a belt buckle. The child died from wounds received during that beating.

I am not sure how they coped with being in foster care. However, I knew when they came to stay with us, they were always sad and crying. My aunt tried to do things with them to cheer them up but they were extrmely sad.

Many Asia children refugees have experienced events related to war or persecution that may affect their mental and physical health long after the events have occurred. While in their countries of origin refugee children may have experienced:

• violence (as witnesses, victims, and perpetrators)
• war
• lack of food, water, and shelter
• physical injuries, infections, and diseases
• torture
• forced labor
• sexual assault
• lack of medical care
• loss of loved ones

Breastfeeding

The topic I chose to write about is breastfeeding. All of the topics are important to me however, I breastfeed my son and am expecting now. Breastfeeding is really healthy to the wellbeing and development of infants.

In Mexico, breastfeeding is based on income and education. People with lower incomes and that are less educated breastfeed longer than 2 years since moms don't have money to buy formula or to provide for their children. Moms that are more educated and have better finances breastfeed for only 6 months since they believe that breast milk starts losing its health benefits after the age when babies start solids. Some woman will breastfeed up to 12 months just for bonding but after that babies are weaned gradually. The ability of buying healthy foods compensates for the lack of use of breast milk.

Birthing in the US and Japan

When women in Japan have babies, they have to have their babies in hospitals and their husbands are not allowed in the delivery room for a vaginal birth unless the husband has taken prenatal classes with the mom to be. If a Japanese woman has to have a c section, the husband is not allowed in at all. It is also a custom that japenese women give birth with no painkillers. There is a belief among Japanese that labor pains act as a kind of test that a woman must endure in preparation for the challenging role of motherhood. This centuries-old belief endures despite the fact that a growing number of doctors in Japan are recommending epidurals for their patients, suggesting that they create a more peaceful birth experience. Although more women are beginning to exercise this option, centuries of tradition still keep many others from considering the procedure.
Also the hosiptal stay for giving birth is five days for a vaginal and 10 days for a c-section.
When the mom and baby leave the hospital after their stay, the mom and baby must stay at the mother's parents house for a month and must stay in the bed with the baby for 21 days.

In the US, birthing is very different. Woman have the right to decide if the baby will be born at home, hospital, or birthing center. Husband do not have to attend any prenatal classes although they are offered and they probably should take them!! The fathers are allowed in the room when a c-section is performed but only at the head of the mother. Painkillers are up to the mother's descretion. If a mother wants painkillers, she has has the right to receive them. The hospital stay for a vaginal birth is two days and up to four days for a c-section and that is with no complications. When leaving the hospital, the mother may return to any home that she feels comfortable going to.