Child Birth

My childbirthing experience was very typical of most women.  I did not know I was pregnant with my second child until 8 1/2 weeks and once the nurse said that I had morning sickness the next 7 months.  Besides the sickness everything else that goes with pregnacy such as swollen feet and gaining weight was normal.  I did not rest as much as I would of liked with a 3 year-old running around but I felt very healthy otherwise.  The day I gave birth my water broke outside while I was setting up his pool, my husband rushed home from work and sped all they way to the hospital because he didn't want me to have the baby in the car.  Needless to say it took 5 hours and 13 minutes to push my son into the world and he was 8 ilds and 13 oz. and 21 inches long.  Everyone remarked how big his hands and feet were but he is 12 now and grown into himself quite well.  I did not have an epidural during labor but a simple spinal tap which only lasted 3 hours.  I recommend getting the epidural if you can because pushing through the pain of labor was very hard and very frustrating. 

As for births in other countries I read about women in South America.  In south America only women can attend the delivery and usually it is the mother or a midwife, because of cultural traditions.   Men are not allowed to attend the delivery nor see the wife and child until after they have both been cleaned up and dressed.  Latin women after giving birth practice a custom of postpartum lying in which they have a period design to give them rest between childbirth and returning back to work.  Most women in these cultures do not return to office jobs after giving birth but go back to the fields and work.  The postpartum lying period gives women a chance to reccoperate and gather their strength back to care for the family and work again.