• 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
• My own birth was breach. I have a bald spot on the top of my head from a blood clot and faint scars on my temples from the forceps. I chose this example because I find it interesting that they do not use this method anymore. After reading the question for this blog I called my mother to ask her some of the details. She told me that half of my body was blue from lack of circulation. I was tangled in the umbilical cords while in the womb.
• 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? Sweden has the highest rate of birth in Europe. In Sweden they get 13 months of leave. Instead of spending only 6 weeks with their child they can stay home for seven months. In Sweden midwives are used throughout the whole process. The rates of C sections are lower. In Sweden it is at 17 percent compared to 31 percent in the United States. The rate for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is also lower. I think the cultural aspects of the two countries is very interesting and where the importance lies in children and the birthing process. I wanted to add a few things about also traditions in China and conceiving a child that I thought were interesting. Lotus seeds are put in the bed of a  new married couple so that they would be blessed with a child very soon. The mother was to talk very softly, only eat meat that was cut into squares. In the first month after birthing the child the mother cannot wash her hair because of migraines, she cannot wash or drink with cold water and cannot read books.
• Lee W  http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-pregnancy.htm

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  B=Boy  G=Girl

                             WOMAN'S CONCEIVING AGE
  MONTH OF
  CONCEPTION    18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  31
  
  January        G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B
  February       B   G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   G
  March          G   B   G   G   B   G   B   B   B   G   B   G   G   B
  April          B   G   B   G   G   B   B   G   G   B   G   G   G   G
  May            B   G   B   G   B   B   G   G   G   G   G   B   G   G
  June           B   B   B   G   G   G   B   B   B   G   G   B   G   G
  July           B   B   B   G   G   B   B   G   G   B   B   B   G   G
  August         B   B   B   G   B   G   G   B   B   B   B   B   G   G
  September      B   B   B   G   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   B   G   G
  Gctober        B   B   G   G   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G   G   G
  November       B   G   B   G   G   B   G   B   G   G   G   G   B   G
  December       B   G   B   G   G   G   G   B   G   B   G   G   B   B
  
  
                              WOMAN'S CONCEIVING AGE
  MONTH OF
  CONCEPTION    32  33  34  35  36  37  38  39  40  41  42  43  44  45
  
  January        B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G
  February       G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B
  March          B   B   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B
  April          G   B   G   B   G   B   B   B   B   G   B   G   B   G
  May            G   G   G   G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   B   G
  June           G   G   G   G   G   B   G   G   B   G   B   G   B   G
  July           G   G   G   G   G   G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G   B
  August         G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G   B   G
  September      G   G   G   G   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G   B
  October        G   G   G   G   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G
  November       G   G   B   B   B   G   B   G   B   G   B   B   G   B
  December       B   B   B   B   B   B   G   G   G   B   G   B   G   B