Summary:
In Chapter 11 we learned about:
- The couple’s first pregnancy is an important occasion whether the baby was planned or not.
- Examples of the individual reaction to the couple about the pregnancy can vary:
• Planners
- The couple talks about having a baby. The couple is excited once they are pregnant.
• Acceptance of fate
- The couple is surprised about the pregnancy; the pregnancy was not planned, and the couple is quietly welcoming their baby.
• Ambivalent
- The couple has mixed feelings about pregnancy. One or both of the partners do not believe in aborting the baby. Or one of the partners feels strongly about having the baby, and the other partner respects the decision.
• Yes-no
- One partner does not want the baby no matter what trimester the wife is in with the baby. Usually the wife goes on with the pregnancy which can cause a separation or a divorce. If this is a teen pregnancy case, the father might stop seeing the girl after becoming pregnant.
Benefits of having children:
- Couples feel their life is more meaningful with having children
- In America, most parents do not rely on their children to take care of them when they get older
- Parents find enjoyment in taking part in the baby’s social and physical growth.
Costs of having children:
- Children are expensive
- The couple’s interpersonal relationship may crumble
- Some of the things a woman may experience during the first trimester of pregnancy/first 3 months are having constant:
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Insomnia
• Shortness of breath
• Painful swelling of the breasts
• Fatigue
• May constantly worry about the fetus/ especially if the father is engaged in high risk behavior
- A woman may have more excitement during the second trimester because:
• The mother can feel more activity of the baby
• Sonograms show pictures of the baby to determine the sex.
• Back pain, and fatigue sets in more frequently
-In a woman’s third trimester of pregnancy they experience:
• Lose of interest in sex
• Begins to retain water
• May feel physically unattractive and clumsy
*Figure 11.3 on page 296 is an informative chart on what factors affect fertility.
Benefits of being an older parent:
- Older mothers are more likely to be married and have higher education
- Older mothers feel more prepared for motherhood
- Older parents maybe more patient, mature, and financially secure
Cost of being an older parent:
- Pregnant women at the age of 40 are more at risk for having a baby with Down syndrome
- Older parents may not live to see their grandchildren
- Conflict between older parents and their children may occur due to the generation gap
Reasons for female infertility are:
- Failure to ovulate
- Blockage of the fallopian tubes
Reasons for male infertility are:
- Sluggish sperm
- Low sperm count
*Table 11.1 on page 304 has an informative chart on the pros and cons of adoption as well as types
Examples of medical infertility are:
- Artificial insemination
- Fertility drugs
Examples of high-tech treatments for infertility are:
- In vitro fertilization
- Surrogacy
- Prenatal testing
Interests/ Unusual Items Learned:
For some reason I have always been interested in participating in international adoption. I never did any real research on adoption prior to reading chapter 11. If I ever actually decide to adopt a child I feel that chapter 11 has given me valid information on adoption.
Discussion:
Over the years, abortion has been a very controversial issue for many reasons. Many of the controversial issues regarding abortion were addressed in chapter 11.
Originally, I was going to discuss something on abortion, but decided to comment on prenatal testing instead. If you would like to comment on an abortion topic as well as a prenatal testing feel free to do so.
However, I understand that PGD can identify genetic disorders in the embryo before implantation. In a sense I think that can be a good thing because why make someone suffer from cystic fibrosis or Down syndrome when it can be prevented. PGD also can make couples aware that the embryos are infected with such genetic diseases and can prevent additional strain on the couple’s relationship.
By having more information available prior to implantation, the burden of financial strain on the couple can be somewhat eliminated because they don’t have to worry about extra care and cost for medical bills because those embryos are being removed. Some critics are in fear that PGD can increase abortion rates and give parents the opportunity to customize their child. My feelings toward PGD are mixed. Bringing a child into this world is not the same as buying a car. This is a human being, and I don’t feel people should be able to customize their child as one does when purchasing an automobile. For my way of thinking, that’s taking PGD to the extreme. What are your thoughts?
Natalie Sebula
I'm going to avoid the abortion debate as well and comment on PGD. :) I completely agree with you that there is no need to "customize a child." My views are very similar to yours on that if you can save a child pain and suffering from a disease, there should be no harm in choosing to allow the child the freedom of living a healthy life. However, choosing your child's hair color, face shape, and other cosmetic issues, I feel this is ruining what makes your child an individual. The parents' idea of beautiful is not necessarily the same as what the child wants to be. They are their own person, and they should be allowed to express the genes they were given, not the genes that were chosen for them.
ReplyDeleteBonnei Noel
I feel the same way about "customizing a child". The only problem I think you run into is when it comes to diseases such as autism, spina befida, and Huntington's. I personally think I would love my child no matter what, but I think if I had the option I would not want them to suffer from a disease that might even kill them later on in life. That is why I think I would consider being able to fix that.
ReplyDeleteAs I am sure you have all seen, there are many movies that cover topics where individuals are all perfect in a seemingly perfect society, critiquing (to some degree) this issue of PGD (or rather, what it could become). Now I do not like the idea of "customizing a child," but allowing the parents to have the choice to terminate a pregnancy where there would be extreme mental retardation, or incredibly painful disorders that would cause the child to die at an early age, would be beneficial to society. This does, as people mentioned earlier, walk a thin line between screening and choosing certain genes for a child to have. As long as the process is used as more of a net to prevent disorders rather than a customization process, I would tend to agree with the process as a whole though.
ReplyDeleteKarl Wahlen