WK 1 Births in Japan

Japan’s births take place either in a hospital or doctor’s clinic but midwives handle much of the births.  This is similar to much of Europe, but differs drastically from North America, where less than eight percent of births are attended by a midwife. About two percent of births in Japan occur in midwife-run birth houses or in private homes.  It's similar to the US and Western Europe, with the exception of The Netherlands, they have more than a third of births at home. The use of pharmaceutical pain relief differs widely among Western countries. British Commonwealth countries tend to lean toward the use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), while France and the US prefer epidurals. The Netherlands, like Japan, strives for more natural, nondrug pain relief methods, however Japan also adds the strong cultural affinity for gaman, or stoic forbearance.

Another difference encountered here by many foreign women is the lack of family and close friends that they may have been supported by back home. Taking a class with several other couples gives all involved an opportunity to start building new friendships with others who are also approaching parenthood for the first time. It is difficult to recreate one’s home environment, but participating in a birth class and getting involved in various pregnancies and parenting groups can help to bridge that gap, to a certain extent.