• Write about a personal birthing experience. It can be your own birth, your child's birth, or one you took part in. What do you remember about the event? Why did you choose this example? What are your thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development?

The birthing of a child is an very interesting and amazing experience that mankind encounters. I have had the priviledge to experienc two of my nieces birth. The experience of watching my sister labor for 10 plus, as she awaited the final step of 10cm to push. I remember with the first child, my sister was experiencing high blood pressure, so she was given meds to manage her pressure. Her contractions were mild, but began to increase and she requested an epideral. After the epideral which was given around 4cm-5cm, she was calm and relaxed. Her labor progressed very well, and she was ready to push after about 7hours. As she began to push, she began sick, and through the force of being sick she was able to push the baby out within 4 pushes. The young fetus came out, with lots of hair, and began to cry instantly. I do the remember the apgar scale of the baby, however, she was noted as doing well. After the process of birthing, I was able to see the process of afterbirth, and recovery.  I chose this example because it was my first birthing experience, in which I was able to see a vaginal birth. 

The process of birth is very interesting because the body goes through a process to prepare for labor in order to deliver the fetus into the awaiting world. As the fetus transitions from the womb into the world, the process of child development outside the womb begins. How the fetus enters the world, and the nature of the birth, and care after, plays a major role in the development of the child during its first days in the world. 

• Choose a region of the world or a country, other than the U.S., and find out how births happen there. Write about what you learned, and the differences and similarities with your experience (in the personal example you provided). What additional insights, if any, about the impact of the birthing experience on development, did you gain from this comparison?

Subharan African, a region in Africa, does not experirence births like we do in the U.S. Prior to 2012, women often died durinh childbirthing, and many infants suffered sickness. Women had to birth children in the dark and without medicl equipment, due to the  lack of resources. This part of African is very poor, and does not have the pre or post care for their infant and thus child development is different.  These two countries pose very different birth experiences, in that the U.S has the advancement of medicine and lighting. In relation to similarities, as in the U.S those who are poor often experience poor birth experiences and often time the infant and mother becomes sick.