Birth is something that has changed over the years as technology and medicine have advanced. Many times you hear stories of older home births in which it was much more dangerous and it was quite possibly fatal for the mother. However now that we industrialized hospitals we have taken away a lot of the danger related to birth. Drugs play a big part in alleviating the pain that comes with birth. However it is not that uncommon to hear of somebody having a "natural" birth, meaning they don't use drugs. The reasons for this can vary from person to person but I would like to explore are there any proven scientific advantages to a natural birth? What effects do the drugs given to the mother have on her child?
Birth is a very special process in our society but how has it really transformed over the years? How has the industrialization of our hospitals affected how women give birth? (Other than the drugs, maybe focusing more on the process.). I also think it would be interesting to focus on the males role in assisting a woman before and during birth. Have these customs changed over the years? Are they better/worse? What would be the best way a male could help?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Extra credit
It is very strange the way life works. We go from needing constant attention and help to being independent and if we are lucky enough to live a long life we go back to needing constant attention and help. I went with Arden to visit her grandparents. Her grandfather suffers from alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia in which you suffer from memory loss amongst other things. Although this is not an uncommon issue I had never saw or experiences the affects of alzheimer's first hand. As we walked into Arden grandparents house, having already met her grandmother, she introduced me to her grandfather. He then waited for her to introduce herself and I realized that he had forgotten who she was. It's quite obvious how this can be a difficult disease to deal with for the person dealing with as well as the friends and family.
Due to the fact that alzheimer's causes not only memory loss but also affects behavior, thinking, etc. Arden's grandma felt that her husband needed constant care. Even as she had came to pick us up from the train station she had asked her neighbor Rose to come over and watch her husband for her. This showed the amount of care needed to competently take care of Arden's grandfather. They couldn't leave him home alone, he could not drive, and worst of all he forgot much of his family.
Diseases such as this are very sad and I believe this story much like many other stories of people dealing with the illness that many times comes with old age provides a few implication about illness and dying in general. We don't focus enough on prevention. Although alzheimer's is a disease linked with old age scientist are not really sure what the cause of it is. This is a disease that one in every eight people over the age of 65 get and yet we don't truly know the causes. There is obviously not enough focus being put on prevention. We find ways to help the elderly live with their illnesses and we give them the attention and help they need, hopefully at least. However, there is very little focus on leading a healthier life so that when you are older, although you are more susceptible to illnesses and disease than when you were younger, you are more likely to avoid many of the common illness that accompany old age. Another implication I took from this experience is that we have a very strange system of dealing with life. As a baby we need care, as an adult we want and usually have independence, but as we get older and sicker we need that same care again, almost as if we were babies. I am not sure whether or not this is an inevitable cycle of life but we surely are not doing our best to explore other option and other ways of life, and we surely aren't doing are best to try to disrupt and prevent this cycle.
Due to the fact that alzheimer's causes not only memory loss but also affects behavior, thinking, etc. Arden's grandma felt that her husband needed constant care. Even as she had came to pick us up from the train station she had asked her neighbor Rose to come over and watch her husband for her. This showed the amount of care needed to competently take care of Arden's grandfather. They couldn't leave him home alone, he could not drive, and worst of all he forgot much of his family.
Diseases such as this are very sad and I believe this story much like many other stories of people dealing with the illness that many times comes with old age provides a few implication about illness and dying in general. We don't focus enough on prevention. Although alzheimer's is a disease linked with old age scientist are not really sure what the cause of it is. This is a disease that one in every eight people over the age of 65 get and yet we don't truly know the causes. There is obviously not enough focus being put on prevention. We find ways to help the elderly live with their illnesses and we give them the attention and help they need, hopefully at least. However, there is very little focus on leading a healthier life so that when you are older, although you are more susceptible to illnesses and disease than when you were younger, you are more likely to avoid many of the common illness that accompany old age. Another implication I took from this experience is that we have a very strange system of dealing with life. As a baby we need care, as an adult we want and usually have independence, but as we get older and sicker we need that same care again, almost as if we were babies. I am not sure whether or not this is an inevitable cycle of life but we surely are not doing our best to explore other option and other ways of life, and we surely aren't doing are best to try to disrupt and prevent this cycle.
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