Choosing between a normal childbirth and caesarean section is a matter of critical importance for a pregnant woman. The third trimester is the time for her to decide on the methods of childbirth. Naturally, this is involves a question of safety for both mother and child. The decision concerning mode of childbirth is different than most other medical decisions. It is a decision that has implication to two individuals; the mother and the fetus. A woman’s cultural beliefs and values are significant variables that influence her perception of the childbirth experience. While there are shared cultural meanings, the meaning of childbirth is unique and intensely personal to each woman in a specific culture. A society’s culture informs its members of the importance of the birth experience, what is proper, what should be done, and who participates during childbirth and what their roles should be during the experience. In literature, the childbirth experience is consistently described as a...
