Cultural childbearing practices
Cultural beliefs commonly affect an individual’s attitudes toward illness and traditional medicine. By trying to accommodate beliefs and practices in your care plan for a pregnant woman, you can increase her willingness to learn and comply with treatment regimens. Because cultural beliefs may vary within particular groups, individual practices may differ from those described here.
African Americans
View pregnancy as a state of well-being
May delay prenatal care
Believe that taking pictures during pregnancy may cause stillbirth
Believe that reaching up during pregnancy may cause the umbilical cord to strangle the baby
May use self-treatment for discomfort
May cry out during labor or may be stoic
May receive emotional support during birth from mother or another woman
May view vaginal bleeding during postpartum period as sickness
May prohibit tub baths and shampooing hair in the postpartum period
May view breast-feeding as embarrassing and therefore bottle-feed
Consider infant who eats well “good”
May introduce solid food early
May oil the baby’s skin
May place a bellyband on the neonate to prevent umbilical hernia
