Examines the importance of accommodating the traditional childbirth practices of Southeast Asians in order to encourage immigrant women’s continuing contact with health professionals in the United States. When cultural expectations of doctor or nurse and patient collide, both parties are left feeling frustrated and misunderstood. Cambodians, Laotians, and Vietnamese typically deal with illness by self-care and self-medication, relying on herbal remedies, the services of traditional healers, and, often, Western-like prescription drugs. While prenatal care is not the norm in Southeast Asia, traditional beliefs guide the prenatal period, including avoiding certain physical activity and combining and eating particular foods. Southeast Asian patients may be baffled by diagnostic tests, fearful of invasive procedures, and reluctant to provide medical histories. The use of a female translator can assist health professionals at key points during a patient’s pregnancy. Health professionals also need to be aware of Southeast Asian women’s beliefs about the influence of good and bad spirits on their pregnancy, labor, the postpartum period, and signs of a health baby. Facilities that accommodate large numbers of Southeast Asian maternity patients usually are most receptive to offering culturally appropriate services.
