Question

Choose an ethnic group and describe their cultural values related to pregnancy and birth. What are their cultural strengths? Can you identify a cultural value that may result in a negative outcome? If so, what education can you provide to the patient? How can you share new information in a culturally competent way? Support your intervention with evidence based practice.

Answer 1

In the African ethnic group, women are expected to give more number of childbirth. It also increases the number of wives for an African man. Most of the women got pregnancies at the age of 13. They believe the child is gifts of Gods and they get pregnancies at early ages. In Africans, culture plays an important role throughout their life. Extended families are their strengths. Women were not given rights to take their own decision regarding their pregnancy care and childbirth. Elder persons of the families take the decision of the delivery.

They don't take proper nutrition during pregnancy because of the beliefs of heavy nutrition will make the baby too big. Women are not allowed to take milk during pregnancy. This increases the postpartum bleeding in these women. They prefer to deliver the baby in churches rather than in hospitals and attended's by pastor's wife. The attendee gives herbal preparation during pregnancy to avoid abortion and postpartum delivery. The women lie on the floor during delivery. They use the old clothes for the post vaginal bleeding which increases the infection in the postpartum period. Twin babies were looked at a sign of bad. Thus the cultural belief's results in a negative outcome such as maternal bleeding, infection, and increased maternal mortality.

Nurses and midwives have to approach these women in a culturally competent way to provide good quality maternal care. This is challengeable to the nurses and midwives to care of women with strong cultural values and beliefs. Women are educated about their rights to have own decision in childbirth. Health education has given about sexual and reproductive health. Health education has given about importance of nutrition, use of sanitary pads, contraceptive method, and prevention of HIV. Increased access to care, safe antenatal care, frequent visit improved their access to take the decision on their reproductive health. Traditional practices would be taken into consideration in order to satisfy the women and her families.