Three of particularly interesting, informative, and insightful elements of pregnancy/birth experience:
1. A child is a part of his or her's mother's flesh. A child embodies DNA, blood, and life.
2. Having a baby is part of creating a whole family. It gives a mother and a father a greater purpose in life.3. A healthy mother means a healthy baby.
Analysis
When I interviewed M, she was very straightforward with her answers. I wasn't sure if it was because I was relatively close with her or if she had just felt comfortable talking about birth. Nevertheless, her demeanor was welcoming and I had no trouble asking her questions. With birth, there comes many responsibilities, those of which M had clearly anticipated. "I did what every mother would think to do. I bought lots of diapers, baby clothes, and formula." I mused at the idea of several diapers stacked up against the wall in a pastel-colored room, as I'd picture many baby rooms to be decorated in such way. I began to wonder when it came time for me to sacrifice my vulva for my future offspring, would I be the often distraught-looking woman walking out of the store with tons of baby diapers and formula in my arms? Surely this visual was not categorized as what made nurturing a child "absolutely wonderful." Instead, it was the concept of a mother nurturing and raising a piece of her own "flesh, blood, and DNA." I wondered if this idea correlated to the theory that parents choose to have kids because kids are like puppets, in which parents can vicariously live through and wish to fulfill desires that have already waned as the parent's youth has become more or less nonexistent.
Interview with J.F. (Interviewee requested anonymity)(Interview was conducted in person and recorded onto a word document. To download the word document, click the download link below.)
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Three of particularly interesting, informative, and insightful elements of pregnancy/birth experience:
1. A mother's physical appearance after giving birth should be restored to the mother's prime physical state (before birth).
2. Birth is somewhat of an excuse to bring together a family. The birth of a child can reconcile and rekindle an old relationship between two family members.
3. People are more considerate when a woman has a fetus in her womb.
Analysis
J had wide range of facial expressions when she responded to my questions. They were clear signals of her emotions as looks of exasperation, happiness, and fatigue ran across her face. "I was overfilled with joy, and this continued throughout most of the 9 months I was pregnant. Of course I was scared at times, but my husband and I were so happy that that was the main emotion that controlled our lives." Having heard this, I find its often easy to get caught up in the emotions that embody the good aspects of life and happiness and so, people believe in what will benefit them if they have a baby. One benefit that comes from having a baby is reconnecting with family members. "My mother-in-law also made that time of my life memorable; she would take me shopping and would come over to our place once a week to chat; she was also very happy to soon be a grand mother, being as my husband is an only child." Maybe reconciling with family members is also something parents seek when they choose to have a baby or not.
Interview with my Mother (My mother preferred to respond to my questions in Cantonese but I will quote and translate specific portions of this interview in my analysis. Please disregard any loud noises or sounds you may hear in the audio, other than the actual voices.)
Three of particularly interesting, informative, and insightful elements of pregnancy/birth experience:
1. The emotional state while carrying a baby in your womb is important in allowing the baby to enter a healthy and happy environment.
2. Miscarriages are never a good thing.
3. Pain is in a sense that is memorable during birth but, is also a joyous thing. It means that the baby is finally entering the world.
Analysis
Having noted that I've talked to my mother about birth already, I hadn't anticipated a couple of insights she had to offer. My mother began talking about the physical aspects that childbearing consists of and surprisingly did not start with the emotional aspects of creating new life. As much as I wanted our conversation to hit a climatic point where one of us would have an emotional discourse, our conversation ran smoothly and incredibly nonchalantly. However, there were certainly subtle signs of her discomfort, "I had almost had a miscarriage. Gladly, you held on." I felt a pang of relief to know that my presence was regarded in such a way. The pain and discomfort my birth had caused my mother was certainly "something never to be forgotten because of the extreme pain". However my mother said the pain she endured was a mark forever in her mind because it was the beginning of new life, life that was somewhat of her own. "The pain I endure during the birth meant that you were finally entering this world. It meant that I would finally be able to hold you, call you my own, and let you join my family." Is it the pain that creates the automatic bond between the mother and child? Is it such intense emotion that makes the waking up at the mere hours of the night to tend to the child, the persisting fatigue, and nerving back pains from carrying a child worth it?
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