[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]Less focus on birth pain

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[LETTERS TO THE EDITOR]Less focus on birth pain

Published: 15 Feb. 2004, 22:22

I am a mother who gave birth to her first child last May. During my 10 months of pregnancy, I was overcome by this feeling of expectation and fear at the pending birth of a life. My fear stemmed from watching television programs, which showed women going into labor, sweating and screaming in pain and writhing in agony. These scenes have not changed since the old days although the place of birth has changed from the home to the hospital. In foreign countries, the scene of giving birth is quite different from that of our country. The mother takes a deep breath and prepares for the birth as the family members watch closely. Of course foreign women may be stronger than Asian women so the level of pain may be different, but I believe pain can be overcome by the joy of the birth of a new life. I wish television programs would not focus too much on the pain of birth.

by Kim Jin-hee