4. Having a Baby
PURPOSE The objective of this activity is to become familiar with the psychological, physical, social, and emotional effects of preparing for a baby.
ACTIVITY Using the instructions and questons below, interview prospective parents about the experience of getting ready for the arrival of a baby. If this is not possible, interview parents retrospectively about how they prepared for the arrival. Some questions involve potentially personal and sensitive topics.
ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: (1) Prepare a written report. Are there differences in the way questions are answered, depending on gender of parent, parental experience, planned or unplanned pregnancy? (2) Do the answers reveal an adequate knowledge of prenatal development? (3) Did the preparation help? (4) What might parents do differently the next time? (Four elements)
Instructions: Ask the following questions of both the mother and the father, if possible. Add any questions that you believe are relevant. Remember that you are dealing with potentially sensitive issues.
1. How did you feel when you learned you were going to become a parent?
2. How has the pregnancy influenced your daily activities?
3. Have you felt the fetus move or heard its heartbeat? What was your reaction to these events?
4. Have you attended (or do you plan to attend) childbirth classes, and if so, what kind? What do you hope to learn in these classes?
5. Do you have any specific concerns about the pregnancy?
6. Have you had any concerns about the baby's being exposed to drugs or diseases or receiving adequate nutrition? Have you made any efforts to learn about the effects of these on the fetus? Has information about drugs, diseases, and nutrition been made available to you through your healthcare facilities? Have you made any changes to reduce any concerns that you have about these factors?
7. Have you had any prenatal diagnostic tests? Why or why not? Has an ultrasound been done?
8. Do you foresee any changes to your career or other plans as a result of the pregnancy and impending birth?
9. If this is not your first pregnancy, how does this one differ from previous ones? Urban Anthropologist
5. OB Visit
PURPOSE The objective of this activity is to become famiiar with hospital birthing facilities. Arrange with a local hospital to tour the facilities for delivery and postnatal care.
ASSIGNMENT STATEMENT: Using the information in the section below (Instructions) as a guide, develop an interview protocol to ensure that questions and observations are made in a number of key areas.
NOTE: Some facilities require that you make arrangements for this assignment in advance or require a letter from the instructor. Let me know what the facility of your choice requires.
Instructions: Before visiting the facilites for delivery and postnatal care at your local hospital, develop a list of questions you would like to ask the hospital staff. Make sure you ask questions in the following areas:
Staffing
Numbers of deliveries per day, week, month
Percentage of women who go through Lamaze or other prepared childbirth classes
Birthing options (e.g. birthing room, rooming-in)
Procedure for admittance, delivery, recovery, discharge
The delivery of the child and its care afterward
Care of neonate
Emergency procedures (e.g. C-section, Code Blue)
The delivery of the child
Who decides on Circumcision.
If possible, arrange for permission to observe two or three neonates at the hospital while you are there. Note behaviors and activities that are similar to all of them and those that are different.
6. Changing Views of Infant Nutrition
PURPOSE The purpose of this activity is to become aware of changes in past generations' ideas of an ideally nourished baby.
ACTIVITY Interview a representative of each generation with the questions provided. Compare and contrast responses.
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