For this week’s activity post, I wanted to discuss how the culture in India affects childbirth in this country. My aunt was actually born in India before my grandparents decided to come to the United States. Therefore, I was intrigued to learn more about how different her birth was compared to the majority of births in India.

Each year, about 32,000 women pass away in India from childbirth (Weber-Steinhaus and Wadhawan, 2019). Therefore, the government has decided to train midwives to make a difference in the delivery room (Weber-Steinhaus and Wadhawan, 2019). Pregnant women in India are often treated very poorly in the hospitals when going into labor, from the medical staff disregarding the patient’s privacy to ignoring the women’s suggestions. Additionally, no one is allowed to accompany the woman when she is giving birth, which is very different from America, where the husband is present in the labor room to help get his wife through the pain of delivering a baby (Jordan, 1992). Even after the baby is born, the mother and child are still forced into isolation because of the belief about the filthiness of the delivery process (English and Punjabi, n.d.). This period of isolation can vary depending on the region in India, however, in most regions, this confinement is about 40 days. This idea of isolating the mother and child also stems from Hindi culture in which they must be protected from evil spirits and disease because they are both vulnerable after the birth. This is very different from the U.S. in that after a baby is born in America, relatives rush to the scene to welcome the child into the world and surround the mother and baby with love and affection.

Another thing that India’s government is trying to do to reduce the mortality rate of women in childbirth is to reduce the number of home births in the country (Weber-Steinhaus and Wadhawan, 2019). According to English and Punjabi (n.d.), pregnancy in India rarely requires hospital intervention and is seen as a natural phenomenon. Therefore, women living in poverty in India are now being given money as an incentive to give birth in a hospital (Weber-Steinhaus and Wadhawan, 2019). This is very different from the United States because it is considered abnormal in American culture to give birth at home. In contrast, it is considered abnormal to give birth in a hospital in poverty areas in India.

In the authoritative knowledge article, Jordan (1992) explains authoritative knowledge in a labor ward and in an airplane operations room. She explains that authoritative knowledge is when a person of authority explains the analysis or situation with those around them (Jordan, 1992). In traditional India childbirth, the authoritative knowledge is the mothers-in-law (English and Punjabi, n.d.). The mothers-in-law pass on the customs of nutrition, hygiene, and daily activities the mother should do while pregnant. The mothers-in-law were originally the ones who knew when the baby was ready during childbirth and helped prepare for the delivery of the baby (English and Punjabi, n.d.). However, now this role is being replaced by Physicians if the women decides to go the hospital.

Works cited

English, H., & Punjabi, T. (n.d.). INDIAN ETHNICITY AND BACKGROUND Communication.

Jordan, B. (1992). Authoritative-Knowledge. Institute for Research on Learning.

Weber-Steinhaus, F., & Wadhawan, J. (2019). Giving Birth in India: ‘The Women Here Are Afraid’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE – International. Retrieved from https://www.spiegel.de/international/globalsocieties/india-turning-toward-midwives-to-reduce-maternal-mortality-a-1265427.html