Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Meaning Of Giving Birth: Voices Of Hmong Women Living In Vietnam, Cheryl A. Corbett, Lynn Clark Callister, Jamie Peterson Gettys, Jacob R. Hickman

Faculty Publications

Increasing knowledge about the sociocultural context of birth is essential to promote culturally sensitive nursing care. This qualitative study provides an ethnographic view of the perspectives of birthing of Hmong mothers living in the highlands of Vietnam. Unique cultural beliefs exist in Hmong culture about the spiritual and physical wold as well as ritual practices associated with childbearing. This includes variations of ancestor worship, reincarnation, and healing practices by shamans. Traditionally, Hmong families take an active role in childbirth with birth frequently occurring in the home. Situated within a large collaborative anthropology project, a convenience sample of 8 Hmong women, …