Question

What are the stereotypes about women of color who are mothers, and how is reality different from these stereotypes? What are the stereotypes and the reality for lesbian mothers?

Childbirth educators have made impressive changes in the way childbirth is now approached. However, motherhood is still extremely stressful. Imagine that our society valued motherhood enough to fund programs aimed at decreasing the difficulties that women experience during the postpartum phase. First, review those sources of stress. Then describe an ideal program that would include education, assistance, and social support.

Answer 1

Stereotypes of Women of Color who are Mothers

The unique stereotypes of Black women in the United States related to sexuality and motherhood. A Black female target (pregnant or not) was perceived more negatively on items related to historically rooted societal stereotypes about sexual activity, sexual risk, motherhood status, and socioeconomic status than was a White female target, but there were no differences on items unrelated to societal stereotypes. A Black target described as pregnant was also perceived as more likely to be a single mother and to need public assistance than was a White target who was described as pregnant. Societal stereotypes have damaging effects, underscore the importance of diversifying images of Black women, and increasing awareness of how stereotypes affect perceptions of Black women.

Homosexual mothers are usually viewed as oversexed, narcissistic, pleasure-oriented, and incapable of performing the maternal role. Our society is organized to heterosexual values which are institutionalized in the contemporary, nuclear, and patriarchal family. The nuclear family is the yardstick in society against which alternative structures are measured and judged. But in reality, the nuclear family and monogamy are proving to be failing miserably with divorce rates increasing and many people separating and co-parenting somehow or the sake of children. This hasn't been very helpful for the offsprings of bad divorcees as well. About 51% of marriages end in divorce in today's modern world. The number of single female-headed households has been increasing.

Part of the nuclear family myth is the misconception that heterosexuality guarantees good parenting. The basic biological mandate of heterosexuality is viewed by society as a norm. Its appeal and power may appear and seem natural and commonsensical in relation to our own intimate experiences.

Most homosexuals are born and raised in heterosexual families. Society sees and uses the heterosexual principle as the basis for marriage and families as they represent the values of a stable and productive structure. The most usual criticism against homosexuals or anyone in the LGBTQA+ community is that their sexualities are unnatural. These views come from the more religious perspectives in the world. Homosexuals also have lesser social and legal recognition. These traditional assumptions are usually held by those who are heterosexual. They tend to have issues like, who wears the pants? financial stability(traditionally males are seen as caretakers of their women)of the couple individually and separately, who cooks and changes nappies(females have these gender stereotypes).Over two dozen studies have found that children raised by homosexuals parents were indistinguishable from children raised by heterosexuals.Increasingly, it appears that our homosexual parenting communities are providing the kind of supportive subculture that allows these kids to be comfortable in such a variety of family relationships. Many such mothers may also struggle with being partially closeted due to fears of losing housing or jobs. But on the bright side, such families tend to be more open in their communities and schools.

Motherhood is stressful as it involves nurturing a child to be healthy in all aspects of life. The way a mother does so is a crucial part of motherhood. Small things like eye contact, soothing caressing when a babe is in a crying spell amongst other things have found to be very important in the healthy functioning of a child.

Childbirth education was an important social movement in the 20th century but has lost its way in recent years. Some factors that have changed compared to the old ways are:

• Women's expectations of childbirth
• Pain management options
• The economics of childbirth and the system of healthcare
• The technology used during pregnancy and birth.

In many parts of the world today, women can plan their pregnancies and tend to have fewer children than a century ago. This has created a culture where each pregnancy and baby generates intense attention. Expectations of pain management have also changed. One hundred years ago, most children throughout the world were born at home. Although many factors contributed to the movement of childbirth from the home to the hospital, one important reason for this change was the development of pain-reducing childbirth anesthesia, which was only available at the hospital.

An ideal program that would include education, assistance, and social support for decreasing the difficulties that women experience during the postpartum phase would involve:

The postpartum period can be divided into three distinct stages:

1. The initial/acute phase-: 6–12 hours after childbirth.
2. The subacute postpartum period lasts 2–6 weeks.
3. The delayed postpartum period: which can last up to six months.

87% to 94% of women report at least one health problem. Long-term health problems (persisting after the delayed postpartum period) are reported by 31% of women.

A routine postpartum evaluation at certain time intervals in the postpartum period is recommended for the women suffering from the post partum phase. There are programs to prepare women for childbirth that include relaxation, patterned breathing, hypnosis, and water immersion. Encouraged by the work of these early experts, women have begun to reclaim their autonomy in the birth process. Educationally these programs must be available at hospitals and clinics or even online resources for mothers to be. Assistance from society, in general, would help fund this issue. Talking more about this issue through workshops may find to be effective psychoeducation for many. Funding is important and necessary as there are fatal injuries that a mother faces in the post-partum phase a lot of blood is lost and there may be many other complications as well. Postpartum depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and in rare cases, puerperal psychosis are some psychological disorders that can manifest in a woman after childbirth. The disorders are associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Women facing this problem need rest and recovery time for their bodies to return to their pre-birth body state. This obviously takes time and care so it is crucial that more services are open to and for women in society as mothers are a crucial part of nurturing children into healthy adults. A healthy mother means a healthy child and the lesser the chances are of women attaining such healthcare and funding for such issues is very important in today's world. The workplace in today's society is still making policies that aim to help women with paid maternity leaves but this would take the health of women post-birth have better chances at striving with the well being of those who choose to have families. Social support should and must involve moral support from a woman's family, doctor, peers, and colleagues. More importantly, psychotherapy must also be an available option for such women to get over the baby blues which can be quite dangerous for the infants as many mothers attempt to kill their babies in a depressive or manic mood due to the hormonal imbalances and still recovering health of the mother who may have had a bad health history or genetic predispositions. A woman suffering from postpartum issues will be in need of emotional(Close friends and family members provide hope and a listening ear), instrumental(Tangible aid and service), and informational support (Doctors provide facts about the issues and offer guidance during the treatment process).

Health-care providers should screen women for depression to understand what their baseline mood is prior to birth. Assessing for depressive symptoms or a past history of anxiety/depression in the prenatal period is essential because a history of previous mental health problems is a risk factor for PPD(Postpartum depression).

Placing the mother at the center of the dyad, childbirth educators and nurses can truly individualize care by having a holistic understanding of the mother’s needs, and interventions can be anticipated at an earlier stage. Health-care professionals should be versed in the detection and management of postnatal depression. A thorough assessment of the mother’s physical and psychological health needs, as well as her support system, is paramount. Assistance to include resources should be offered, especially in African American and low-income minority populations who face many barriers to care. It is clear that mothers require more knowledge than what is being offered to them. Women who experience depressive symptoms will be more willing to seek help from an educated and accepting workforce hence the healthcare system must be well educated in the issue. Childbirth educators, midwives, and nurses are in pivotal positions to connect with women, offer emotional support and care, and make recommendations and referrals to help women enjoy the postpartum experience and improve maternal and infant outcomes.