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Chinese Culture : Pregnancy And Childbirth

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Analysis of Chinese Culture: Pregnancy and Childbirth
Communication
Chinese value silence and avoid disagreeing. The purpose of avoidance is to lessen conflict and maintain a peaceful environment. When assessing a pregnant Chinese woman, it is important to understand this idea of silence. The Chinese woman may remain silent during an exam and while the nurse is educating. Although the woman is not verbalizing her understanding, she most likely does. It is important to gauge how the woman demonstrates understanding. Head nods or silence are often non-verbal cues that a Chinese patient may demonstrate (Giger and Davidhizar, 2006, p. 445). Non-verbal communication in the Chinese culture has much to do with touch (Giger and Davidhizar, …show more content…

Environmental Control Two relevant taboos intended to avoid spontaneous miscarriage include “not walking too fast” and “not walking too often” (Guelfi, 2015). These taboos are practiced by the majority of Chinese women. The idea of physical activity in the Chinese culture during pregnancy is largely looked at as dangerous to the fetus. “The theory of yin and yang or cold and hot foods dominates food choices during pregnancy” (Guelfi, 2015). Women associate cold foods with miscarriage. Cold foods are thought to require more energy for the body to digest. Cold foods are believed to make the uterus cold and decrease blood flow. Watermelon and ice cream are examples of cold food. Aside from restrictions of cold foods, some foods are considered dangerous if they are “wet-hot.” An example of wet-hot food is mango. These foods are wet-hot foods and will cause the baby to have allergies, eczema, and other skin problems (Guelfi, 2015).
Biological Variations It is considered desirable for babies to have light complexion. When dealing with diet, dark foods are considered to cause darkening in the skin of the fetus. Examples of dark foods include soybeans, chocolate or coffee. Biologically, babies born with darker skin are considered unhealthy. Eating light foods influence the health of the fetus (Guelfi, 2015). When dealing with safety during labor, Chinese women often prefer non-pharmacological

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