Latino Culture At Pregnancy And Labor

Transcultural Model and the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor

I will now explore these six transcultural phenomenon in relation to the Latino culture at pregnancy and labor. Pregnancy and labor are two very monumental periods of time in the lives of all women and their families. Though these major life events are experienced differently by every individual, we can take a look at the Latino population in general to get some ideas of how one can best care for a Latina woman and her family throughout the whole process. MD Pedro A. Poma writes, “Many Hispanic people in the United States retain the customs and traditions of their country of origin.” (Poma, 1987) As a result, health care habits, beliefs, and preferences of my Latino patients

will most likely vary greatly from my own.
Communication in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor
Paternalism has long been an aspect of the Latino culture and plays a significant role in the decision making in Latino families.

To quote Pedro A. Poma again, “women are used to being told what to do, and as a result, they are hesitant to participate in their own health care. Physicians should be aware of the cultural differences and beliefs when treating pregnant Hispanic women.” (Poma, 1987) In order to effectively communicate to Latino patients, healthcare workers must strive to understand and respect these values, in hopes that the patient and their family will try to do the same. To best communicate with the mother throughout pregnancy and labor, healthcare workers may have to go through the father or significant other.

Space in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor

Space can be a huge barrier when it comes to successful communication between a healthcare worker and Latino patient. In the Latino culture, being physically close shows care and interest. A doctor standing five feet away from a patient is considered normal to the caucasian patient, but could be interpreted as apathetic to the Latino patient.

Social Organization in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and

Labor
Latinos tend to have a phenomenal and extensive familial support system. In his journal, Poma says, “Another positive factor is the amount of family support,” referring to Latina women during pregnancy and labor. (Poma, 1987) This support system includes aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and close friends who are considered family. Latino families also tend to live nearby one another. This aspect of Latino culture “prevents isolation and provides support and stability.” (Poma, 1987)
Latino culture isn’t an independent culture; mothers are surrounded by experience and don’t hesitate to ask for help or listen to advice. Unlike white American culture, elders don’t retire far away; their experience and wisdom is nearby and accessible. New Latina mothers and their babies are able to learn from those who have been before them and grow in a caring, helpful, and loving environment. Poma says, “Everyone recognizes a better prognosis for the pregnancy, and even for the neonate, when those close to the new mother are supportive.” (Poma, 1987) Demetria Clark found that often the actual labor is attended by older experienced woman in order to help the mother through labor. It is also common for the new mother’s own mother to move in a couple weeks before the due date to help prepare the house for the baby and to take care of the mother. (Clark, 2014)
Time in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor
The Latino culture tends to be oriented towards the present time. Though past and future are acknowledged, they are not necessarily viewed as important. In her book “Caring for Patients From Different Cultures,” Geri-Ann Galanti writes, “From this point of view, one cannot be late.” (Galanti, 2008) One can see how this aspect of Latino culture could potentially cause some problems throughout the pregnancy and labor process in the Western health care system. The importance of the timing of prenatal visits may have to be stressed more than usual.
Environmental Control in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor
There are many folk beliefs in the Latino culture that should be considered when working with a Latino patient.

These legends and traditions are believed by some to have the power to alter the course of a woman's pregnancy and labor and could potentially affect the behavior and compliance of the patient towards the health care plan. Red ribbons and clothes may be used/worn to ward off the evil eye or “mal de ojo.” Some Latinos believe that cleft lip and palate are a cause of the event of an eclipse and keys may be worn to prevent this. In the Latino culture it is thought that cravings or “antojos,” which are known to be common in pregnancy, need to be appeased or else deformities may occur in the baby. “Cuarenta” is the 40 day period after childbirth in which a new mom will abstain from certain things such as spicy foods, exercise, and intercourse. It is a time dedicated to the baby and mother where family will often help out with housekeeping, cooking, and babysitting and it is thought that if cuarenta isn’t followed there could be serious

consequences.
Biological Variations in the Latino Culture at Pregnancy and Labor
As with any race, Latinos have some biological differences/trends. Latinos tend to have a greater number of newborns that are overweight compared to the national average. This could lead to potential difficulties during labor and possible trauma to the baby. The newborn’s weight can be directly related to the weight of the mother throughout pregnancy; intentional exercise is not as common in the Latino culture compared to others. However, Latino babies have one of the lowest occurrence rates of sudden infant death syndrome compared to other races.
Nursing Implications and Interventions
When working with Latino families it will be vital to explain the worth of prenatal appointments and checkups in the process of pregnancy and labor. As present oriented people, the value of prevention might not seem relevant; if all seems to be going well in the moment, why go to the doctor’s office? Poma writes, “the value of these visits need to be repeatedly emphasized, otherwise many Hispanic women will stop the visits because they are feeling fine and they are used to crisis intervention.” (Poma, 1987) If nurses and other medical staff don’t have an understanding of Latino time orientation, seemingly excessive reminders and explanations may seem unnecessary. However knowing that prevention is not the main focus of the Latino culture, it is our job as health care providers to fully explain why it would benefit them to medically track the progress and health of the fetus and mother. In doing this the odds of Latino patients attending prenatal appointments will increase.
If you are unfamiliar with another culture's beliefs on environmental control, folk tradition and remedy could seem foolish and difficult to support. However as nurses, we can use a patient’s beliefs and practices to enhance the nurse-patient relationship. Poma concludes, “Healthcare workers should not be concerned about allowing patients to follow traditional beliefs. Awareness and support are important, as they allow for more open communication. Unless the medication to be used is dangerous, or the folk therapy postpones significantly the use of other proven, effective therapeutic measures, the physician should not worry.” (Poma, 1987) Furthermore, recognizing and acknowledging the Latino beliefs and practices I previously mentioned will enable nurses and physicians to build a good rapport with their Latino patients.
As nurses it is part of our job to apply a culturally competent framework of assessment, like the Giger and Davidhizar Transcultural Model, to our culturally diverse patients. Enlightenment of the differences each unique culture brings will enable us to holistically care for and treat each individual with the utmost love and respect.