01:830:331 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Caesarean Section, Vaginal Bleeding, Vernix Caseosa
11 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Customs surrounding childbirth reflect the beliefs, values, and resources of a culture. Black women, obese women, those with difficult medical histories, those who had previous cesarean deliveries, and those who had several children are at elevated risk of hemorrhage and other dangerous complications. Many women don"t like the impersonal experience of giving birth in a hospital and are reverting to home births. Hospitals are introducing new practices: allowing the father in the birthing room, having the baby lay on the mother"s stomach immediately after birth, etc. to make the birthing process less harsh. Home births are opposed because hospitals are better equipped to handle emergencies. The advantage of an enlarged head that can contain a brain capable of advanced thought outweighs the difficulty of passing through the birth canal. The fact that humans walk upright puts constraints on the potential width of a woman"s pelvis childbirth=lengthy and arduous process for most women.
