What has been the most important thing I have learned this semester?
Choosing the most important thing I have learned this semester is a very difficult feat. One thing that opened my eyes and stuck with me throughout our 15 weeks was our conversation around pregnancy and the process of bringing a child into today’s world. Way back towards the beginning of the semester we talked about fetal origins and how much one’s natural environment and the multitude of external factors surrounding the mother affect the baby in utero. You always hear “what you put into your body effects your baby” regarding food, drinks, drugs/alcohol and so much more but never really go in depth about other external factors that truly influence the life of this child; factors such as stress, the environment in which one lives and works, the air the mother breathes, etc. the list goes on. It truly amazed me once we brought it all the way back to one’s socioeconomic status. This then begins to have an everlasting effect on the environment in which the mother lives in; whether it is a clustered neighborhood with high level of air pollution, an apartment complex, or a child friendly neighborhood. SES also effects the amount of stress put on the mother. Things such as income to support the life of a child until they can support themselves, working one or more jobs, finding time to care for the baby and if the time isn’t available finding a daycare etc. to help with this, and even just the stress of gathering all necessary belongings to adjust to the new and very difficult lifestyle of being a mother. I relate this directly back to my life as I am now watching a lot of young women who I grew up with in high school, trying to manage being a new mom while also navigating their way through college. I could never imagine being a mother this early on but so many of my friends are choosing this new lifestyle and it is amazing watching them all fight hard to get through it. I look back at this unit and try to think of the different stressors they may be weighing on their shoulders, and it is insane to consider what they may be dealing with. Factors such as breaking the news to their families and finding different means of support, dealing with school stress on top of preparing to support another child, financial stressors, and so much more. At this point in my life, I still heavily depend on my parents for many of life’s necessities and for them to not only be on their own but also transitioning into a parent figure for someone else is a major task at this point in their life. This unit has and will stick with me especially as I navigate through college and into early adulthood as an individual. I learned so might throughout this class and it truly opened my eyes up to so many things I may have never even considered.
