AB

chapter 3 pregnancy

Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective, 7th Edition

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Chapter 3: Pregnancy, Birth, and the Newborn

Overview

  • This chapter focuses on the journey of pregnancy, the birth process, newborn evaluation, and the social implications associated with these significant life events.

Chapter Objectives

  • By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

    • Critically evaluate ethical dilemmas faced by parents in learning they are pregnant.

    • Identify biological hazards, risks, and complications of pregnancy.

    • Describe relevant environmental effects on prenatal development, including parent nutrition, substance use, and emotional states.

    • Describe challenges associated with newborns (e.g., premature birth, infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, infants with disabilities) along with social strengths (e.g., community resources) that can support successful family adaptation.

    • Describe the key developmental tasks in the newborn period (e.g., sensitive period for bonding/attachment, using the BNAS for understanding the response patterns of neonates).

Developmental Themes

Confirmation of Pregnancy

  • Shock and Emotion: Confirmation of pregnancy, whether planned or unplanned, often shocks parents and triggers a range of emotions.

  • Acceptance: The first psychological task for expectant parents is to accept the reality of the pregnancy and the growth of the fetus.

  • Unplanned Pregnancy Stress: Unplanned pregnancies can induce significant stress, often requiring additional related decisions.

  • Social Stigma: Young, unmarried women may confront social stigma associated with pregnancy.

Key Considerations for Expectant Parents

  • Five Subject Areas to explore when meeting with expectant parents:

    • Attachments and commitments

    • Mental representation of the fetal infant

    • History of social and professional support

    • History of loss

    • Sense of security

  • Father's Adjustment: Pregnancy also presents adjustments for the father.

  • Postpartum Changes for Mothers: Mothers face various physical changes postpartum.

Work-Life Balance

  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Under FMLA, eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for child birth/adoption within one year of delivery or placement.

  • Statistics on Unintended Pregnancy: According to the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA, 2022), approximately half of global pregnancies are unintended.

Abortion and Miscarriage Considerations

  • Abortion: Often represents a challenging and distressing choice for women, and social workers may play a supportive role in the abortion decision-making process.

  • Post-Abortion Challenges: Women may face relational failures and psychological challenges after an abortion.

  • Definition of Miscarriage: Miscarriage refers to the spontaneous loss of a fetus before the 20th week of pregnancy, although medical professionals may use the term spontaneous abortion.

  • Stillbirth: Defined as pregnancy loss occurring after the 20th week.

Biophysical Dimension

Growth and Development

  • Menstrual Cycle: Mid-cycle, a mature egg is released from the ovary, typically around two weeks post-menstruation.

  • Fertilization: Upon fertilization by a sperm cell within the fallopian tube, the fertilized ovum (egg) becomes a zygote.

  • Embryo Formation: As the zygote travels to the uterus and implants in the uterine lining, it is referred to as an embryo.

Birth Process

  • Stages of Labor:

    • First Stage: Cervical dilation (0 to 10 cm), lasting approximately 12 to 14 hours, involves mild contractions (latent phase) and progressively stronger contractions (active phase).

    • Second Stage: The delivery of the baby occurs once the cervix is fully dilated. Duration can vary from 10 minutes to over 3 hours.

    • Third Stage: The placenta is delivered following birth, typically lasting 5 to 30 minutes.

    • Fourth Stage: Recovery (commonly referred to as the