Pregnancy and childbirth represent life-changing times in most women’s lives. Pregnancy can be a time for happiness and positive expectations for the future, but for some it is a time of great anxiety. An estimated one million women loose an unborn child in the United States each year (Wong, Crawford, Gask & Grinyer, 2003). Approximately 10-15% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage (Wilcox, et al. 1988). In addition, Gold et al. (2007) estimates that up to fifty percent of all clinically and unclinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. As many as 80 percent of these women will become pregnant again following a perinatal death (Cordle & Pettyman, 1994). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a miscarriage as an unintentional loss of an embryo or fetus up to 22 weeks or no more than 500 grams (WHO, 1977). An estimated 22-41% of women who suffer from a pregnancy loss experience some level of anxiety (Athey & Speilvogel, 2000). Geller et al. (2004) concluded that women with a history of perinatal death show increased anxiety with subsequent pregnancies compared to women who have not suffered a loss. Women who have experienced a prior perinatal death can be especially anxious when they become pregnant again, often fearing a similar outcome from their previous pregnancy. The loss of a child is devastating, and many women suffer in silence. Broen, Moum, Sejersted Bodtker & Ekberg (2005) concluded that anxiety is a much more prominent response to a perinatal death than depression. Women who experience pregnancy-related anxiety are at greater risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes (Reck et. al., 2013). Psychological interventions to address the trauma related to pregnancy loss has been largely negle...
... middle of paper ...
...dy by Wong, Crawford, Gask & Grinyer (2003) identified several themes of attitudes and expectations of patients from health care professionals and determined that major deficiencies and inconsistencies exist regarding in-hospital and follow-up care for women who have experienced a perinatal death. While some health care facilities have adopted formal practice guidelines regarding management of perinatal death patients, there is a wide variance observed in the research regarding consistency of care and best practices. Health care professionals, particularly nurses, are in a unique position to offer support and assistance to patients who are going through the experience and subsequent emotional difficulties. Given the proper support and tools to decrease anxiety, many women can go on to experience a positive pregnancy outcome with subsequent pregnancies (Lamb, 2002).
Having a child can be the happiest moment of a person’s life. A sweet little baby usually gives new parents tremendous joy. That joy can be accompanied with anxiety about the baby and the responsibility the new parents are faced with. The anxiety, in most cases, fades and joy is what remains. For some new mothers, however, the joy is replaced with a condition known as postpartum depression. “Postpartum depression is a serious disorder that until recently was not discussed in public…Women did not recognize their symptoms as those of depression, nor did they discuss their thoughts and fears regarding their symptoms” (Wolf, 2010). As such, postpartum depression is now recognized as a disorder harmful to both mother and infant, but, with early detection, is highly treatable with the use of psychotherapy, antidepressants, breastfeeding, and other natural remedies, including exercise.
The history in a family can influence many generations. Certain families have stereotypes about them based on family history. This is a real world situation; the movie The Pregnancy Project, stereotypes about teen pregnancy where shown, and how they affect people. In the Pregnancy Project, the use of Gabi’s background influenced people’s reactions because her family has a history of teen pregnancy.
The article “Abortion Harms Women” suggests supporters of legalized abortion downplay the health and mental risks associated with abortion. Research has indicated there is short and long-term physical and mental harm related to abortion (“Abortion Harms Women”). Abortion can cause many physical complications for the women, such as infections, excessive bleeding, and blood clots. They can even be life-threatening in some cases. In the article “Abortion Harms Women” the writer points out abortion is surprisingly the fifth leading cause of death maternally in the United States. There are certain complications, including infection, hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism (blood clot), and complications from anesthetics that are responsible for a woman’s death (“Abortion Harms Women”). Also, there is a greater risk of mortality the further along a woman is when she has an abortion. Along with the physical risks associated with abortion, there are the psychological risks. Abortion can cause women to feel ashamed or guilty, resulting in an increase in emotional pain. In the article “Abortion Harms Women” the writer explains many emotional problems that can affect women after an abortion. Some women experience an increase in the use of alcohol and drugs. Studies have shown that 34% of women are at a greater risk for anxiety and depression. Also, there is a 60% increase for women to
The debate concerning abortion still exists and is causing a lot of controversy. One of the biggest is an issue concerning mother’s who are experiencing health compilations during p...
Babbel, Susan, Ph.D. “Post Abortion Stress Syndrome (PASS) - Does It Exist?” Psychology Today. N.p., 25 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. .
It is important to understand what women commonly experience during pregnancy. With a better understanding of what happens during prenatal development and childbirth, physicians can competently develop the best plan for the mother and baby. I interviewed two women who have been previously pregnant in order to evaluate how the ideas in the book translate into real-life experiences.
The nurse becomes the confidant, the guide through the darkness, a source of comfort for those experiencing the trauma of losing a child. To successfully fulfill these nursing roles, in addition to roles that must be fulfilled to meet other patient’s needs, one must acknowledge their own definition of death and educate themselves on cultural and societal norms associated with death and dying. It is important to identify one’s own definition of death and dying but also understand that one’s preference does not define the death experience for others. The individuality and uniqueness of each death experience means that one definition of death may be hard for one to accomplish. It is important to maintain an open mind, nonjudgmental spirit, and impartiality for the cultures and practices of others surrounding death and dying. A culturally competent nurse is not only responsible for acknowledging the cultural norms of others but also respecting and educating themselves about the death rituals of their patient’s culture and providing the family with as many resources to safely and effectively fulfill their cultural practices. Education is empowering for the nurse who is navigating the death and dying process. Education often supplements ones credibility with the dying patient and their family which can ease overall anxiety and further promote ones role as a patient advocate and provider of
The author of this book is 21 year old Gaby Rodriguez. She came up with the idea for this project because she was told repeatedly by her brothers and sisters that she would end up getting pregnant as a teen just like all of them. I believe that the purpose of this project and subsequently the book, was to show that you do not have to live your life on the basis of stereotypes. It does not and should not matter what anyone says about you, you are the master of your life and nothing anyone says about you should change what you believe about yourself, or what you want to do with your life. I love this book, and the Lifetime movie was great too. I have known too many young girls who have gotten pregnant, and it does not mean that their life is over. If they believe in themselves and have the help and support of loved ones, there is no reason why they cannot finish school and get a college degree.
A description can never be as vivid as an event that has been experienced. An experience can never be as defining as an event that has left you changed. Under the intensity of childbirth, you're more likely to remember details that would otherwise go unnoticed. All the scenes come together to leave a permanent imprint on the mind's eye.
...Stacy Sabraw, and Deborah Sanders. "Moms who kill: when depression turns deadly: postpartum mood disorders are more common than we realize: up to 80 percent of new mothers experience mild depression within a year of giving birth. If the 'baby blues' persist, depression can escalate to dangerous levels, influencing some women to experience psychosis and--in rare and tragic cases--to kill their offspring. (Feature)." Psychology Today Nov.-Dec. 2002: 60+. Psychology Collection. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.
Pregnancy can be an exciting and sometimes frightening experience for many women. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, and I was not feeling very well. I remember all week long, every morning I felt nauseated. I was craving odd foods, and foods I normally would not eat together. I was on the phone with my best friend explaining to her how I was feeling. She said “It sounds like you are pregnant.” That thought never even crossed my mind until that moment. Sure enough she was right, I was pregnant for the first time. I was excited to have a baby and never realized how many emotions or complications can take place during a pregnancy. Everybody that I knew that had babies, had such wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, this happy moment became such a monumental, emotional and stressful time in my life. During my pregnancy, I went through many emotional experiences from almost losing my child, to the uncertainty of a birth defect and early delivery.
The pain and devastation are indescribable … and single persons – and even parents – will never feel this devastation until they experience losing a child themselves.
I am five months pregnant and single, I am in a situation that I never thought that I would have to face. As far as life experiences go, I can truly tell you that dealing with pregnancy at eight-teen is truly a life changing and stressful event.
“ Being a Motherhood is a choice you make every day, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” MMMMM. Being mother is one of the most blessed and the most challenging job in the world. Giving birth to a new life and making it walk through the new world holding its hands showing a good trail makes a mother victorious in her life. In this modern world women’s attitude against pregnancy and being a mother is changing accordingly. There occurs so many miscarriages and maternal death during the pregnancy. A woman should be physically, and more over mentally set to have a baby in her womb. Considering the biological fitness of health it’s said that safer age to be get pregnant is in between 20 to 29. Early pregnancy in the teenage age of 13 to 20 and the delayed motherhood age after 35 is challenging to the health of mother as well as the birth of the child causing currently social issues India.
To start this off, conception is the action of conceiving a child, and pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. They both share the same meaning: the process of getting pregnant. Conception happens when a sperm penetrates on one of the female’s eggs. Then, at around day 14 of a 28 day cycle, the egg leaves the ovary, and it is surrounded by a protective layer of cells. The fallopian tube is lined with cilia, which helps move the egg towards the womb. This is called ovulation. In the next 12-24 hours, the egg waits to be fertilized by a single sperm. The sperm then swims through the womb to meet the egg in the fallopian tube. And the sperm secretes enzymes to help penetrate the outer layer of the egg. Once the