Cultural beliefs and practices can markedly influence a woman’s pregnancy and childbirth experiences , and may shape her mothering behaviour. In addition, dietary intake before and during pregnancy and through lactation is often influenced by cultural beliefs and practices.
How does culture affect labor and delivery?
Culture influences the meaning of giving birth and becoming a mother . Culture influences pain-related behavior and desires for pain management during labor and birth. Culture also influences women’s behavior during labor and birth, as well as their decision making about interventions.
How does culture affect diet and nutrition during pregnancy?
In many communities, pregnant women have to follow some cultural taboos and practices, which influences the food they eat ; thus, making the women more vulnerable to several micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A, folate, iodine, iron, calcium and zinc, all of which are crucial during pregnancy [10,42,43].
How does religion influence pregnancy?
Today, the religious beliefs, such as saying prayers, thanksgiving in church, and using the special foods , have been shown to affect the women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery (18). According to a number of studies, faith healing is one of the organized methods, which is based on psychological strategies.
How does culture affect postpartum care?
Studies have shown that cultural factors play a significant role in postpartum depression; they may trigger postpartum depression as well as contribute to the alleviation of its depressive symptomatology .
What are the cultural aspects of nutrition?
The socio-cultural factors bearing on food and nutrition range from material technologies to implicit ideologies and symbols , and are interrelated in an original pattern. Techniques such as food production, processing and cooking, and conflicting scales of values should all be taken into account.
How does culture and religion affect food choices?
Religious beliefs influence a person’s value system, traditions, and dietary practices , which, in turn, can affect food selection. ... In this religion, meat and eggs are not consumed because they represent life, nor are chicken and pigs, because these animals are considered scavengers.
What are the common beliefs practices during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, women from some cultures do not eat certain foods . During labour, women from some cultures avoid moving too much; some stay lying down, some prefer to sit or squat. In some cultures, the father does not attend the birth, but the mother or mother-in-law does.
What is pregnancy all about?
Pregnancy is the term used to describe the period in which a fetus develops inside a woman’s womb or uterus. Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 weeks , or just over 9 months, as measured from the last menstrual period to delivery. Health care providers refer to three segments of pregnancy, called trimesters.
Why is it important to take a positive approach to prenatal development?
Pre-Pregnancy and prenatal care can help prevent complications and inform women about important steps they can take to protect their infant and ensure a healthy pregnancy. With regular prenatal care women can: Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications .
Why do they say 40 days after birth?
Researchers have traced the cuarentena’s history back to the Bible. A passage in Leviticus stipulates 40 days of purification after the birth of a son (double for a daughter). As in menstruation, the woman is considered ritually unclean during this time and is barred from entering the sanctuary.
Is it necessary to cover head after delivery?
It is believed that body heat is lost primarily through one’s head and that a new mother needs to preserve her body heat to recover. Covering your head is believed to keep you warm and protect you from infections .
How do you take care of postpartum mom?
- Get plenty of rest. Get as much sleep as possible to cope with tiredness and fatigue. ...
- Seek help. Don’t hesitate to accept help from family and friends during the postpartum period, as well as after this period. ...
- Eat healthy meals. Maintain a healthy diet to promote healing. ...
- Exercise.
What are factors of culture?
Cultural factors comprise of set of values and ideologies of a particular community or group of individuals . It is the culture of an individual which decides the way he/she behaves. In simpler words, culture is nothing but values of an individual.
What role does culture play in nutrition?
Cultural variation may play an important role in human nutrition and must be considered in either clinical or public health intervention particularly in areas with large immigrant populations. Acculturative and environmental change influences the food habits and health of transitional groups.
How does culture affect food?
People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques , and types of food eaten at different meals vary among cultures. The areas in which families live— and where their ancestors originated—influence food likes and dislikes.
