Japanese Maternity Culture - Essay Sample

Introduction

Culture is a set of particular social behaviors, customs, and ideas that exist in a particular society. All these factors are transmitted from one generation to the other through social learning. In Japanese culture, harmony and consensus are the most important parts of any communication. The Japanese community works with considerable efforts to maintain harmony; this is mostly done by the expression of the agreement without regards to the level of understanding of the matter. This can be simply described by the art of following instructions. Consequently, the country has its own ways of doing things without the exclusion of maternity. According to the Japanese culture, women who are ready to give the birth move to their maternal home for delivery. Most of the childbirths are done naturally by the help of a midwife. The paper shall discuss the Japanese culture surrounding maternity beliefs, and differences with other existing countries.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

On realizing pregnancy, the Japanese women are given a maternity mark. This comes in the form of a keychain or a badge that is won by the pregnant mother to let the people know that she is pregnant. Pregnant women are treated in a special way in Japan. They are given the first priorities in the society, for instance, they are offered seats, and attended to without having to follow queues. This is one belief that exists in Japanese culture that a pregnant woman needs to be treated in a certain way.

When a doctor discovers a woman is pregnant, they give them a How- to Handbook. One is required to alert the health office about pregnancy. This book is carried by the expectant woman during all the medical visits. This handbook contains all the information and about the woman progress. It helps to reduce medical bills during maternal care.

There is no restriction to any type of food among pregnant women. Expectant mothers in Japan continue to take their Sushi, green tea, and coffee. Sushi is a Japanese raw fish. Pregnant women in Japan eat it unlike in other western countries where a woman is advised to avoid taking it due to the high levels of mercury found in fish. Though it is a good prenatal general nutrition, it may also contain various bacteria and parasitic worms that could be harmful to the unborn baby and the mother. More so, they take caffeine which has some effects on the development of the foetus.

Expectant moms are advised not to eat a lot. This is to prevent too much weight gain for both the mother and the child. Doctors recommend that a woman should not gain too much weight so as to avoid birth complications and increase in size. According to the Japanese culture of using traditional maternal services, an expectant woman is expected to gain an average weight of 7-12 kilograms (Sandra, 2009). This is quite a convenient weight that would cause little or no risk during delivery.

Japanese believe that alongside prayer, there are several other things that an expectant woman can do to help her to conceive. They include stepping on a placenta, adopting a child, warming the body, sharing a bed with a woman who has recently delivered or eating the leftovers of her food. During pregnancy, some types of foods considered as cold energy such as eggplant are avoided. More so, the women are restricted from revealing their morning sicknesses even to the close family members. Pregnant women are advised to stay away from activities that demand concentration. They believe that some of the epinephrine that is released from the brains during mental stress may cause harmful effects on the foetus.

During childbirth, a drug-free delivery that is done by a midwife is common. At this time, women are encouraged to eat to get the necessary required for pushing. Japanese women are encouraged not to cry during labour. The caesarean section is perceived as suffering to a woman. It is considered important when proven by a doctor. Fathers are not allowed to be in the maternity room during labour. These are some of the shared beliefs that surround the Japanese culture.

There are several afterbirth services that exist in Japan and not in other countries. After delivery, the new moms stay in their maternal home for about two months. During this time, the postpartum takes rest, recuperate, and learn how to take care of their babies. In some cases, the infant is taken care off by the grandmother from the maternal side (very, 2010). However, most of the Japanese women living in Australia may not access such a service. Bathing is prohibited in Japan until seven days are over after birth. This helps to hasten the healing process among the postpartum. In other countries such as Australia, the postpartum is recommended to take a shower, but it varies with the choice of the woman. Breastfeeding children outside the homestead is still considered as shameful and embarrassing, therefore the parents are encouraged to breastfeeding their children at home. Generally, there is a vast difference in maternal care between Japan and the western countries. Their maternal care is traditional and it involves the help of a midwife or nurses that visit the young moms in their home to keep track of their progress.

References

Josai Daigaku. (2016). Review of Japanese culture and society. Saitama-ken Sakado-shi, Japan: Center for Inter-Cultural Studies and Education, Josai University.

Sandra, B. (2009). The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture. Taylor & Francis.

vry, T. (2010). Embodying culture: Pregnancy in Japan and Israel. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.