clash of cultures or differences of generations?

I made a quick trip to my hometown on Friday to visit Dr C., a Chinese acupuncturist.  It was an experience; somewhat a clash of cultures?

Dr C gave me a questionnaire to complete upon my arrival.  I faithfully complied by filling out all my aches and pains and history.  He kept returning to see me laboriously fill it out and finally gave up waiting for me and hustled me into the treatment room!

In the treatment room, he tugged at my jacket and swished at my skirt.  It was apparent that he spoke English as his second language as I removed my jacket.  He poked at my skirt.  Apparently, he had no time for modesty.  During my examination, he prodded my Gluteus Maximus and identified the common source of my back pain.  He clucked to the effect that my back pain was caused by making me move too soon following child birth.  He inquired whether I considered having a third child because then the muscle would likely return to proper place.  I told him having child #3 would require a choice between back pain and my sanity; I'd have to choose sanity.

This conversation rang a bell.  In fact, a couple weeks ago, a Vietnamese friend made a similar comment: when she came to Canada, her family was astonished how quickly Canadian women were released from hospitals following labour/delivery.  In Vietnam, new mothers are nurtured following birth.

These comments have made me reflect on how my grandmother and mother described their post-delivery experiences.  My grandmother gave birth to 2 of her 3 children at the farm where the doctor attended along with the mid-wife.  She described the mid-wife staying with her for about 10 days before/after the birth of her first son to assist in her settling into her new duty as mother in 1936.  My grandfather had to sleep in the barn as there was no room for him to sleep in the house.

My mother described post-delivery as, in effect, one big party (between 1959 to 1971).  She described the women having a grand time in the shared hospital rooms and fondly describes ordering double orders of all the food on the menu for her meals.  She stayed in hospital (following natural births) for about 1 week each time.

In contrast, I think I was generally out of the hospital with the baby in around 24 hours following natural birth, even though K's birth included induction, forceps and vacuum; N's birth was completely natural.  With my first daughter, K, I recall the frustration of trying to breastfeed a child; and the frustration of trying to get K to sleep in my room because I was so sleep deprived due to the lengthy induction, labour and delivery.  I was so grateful that I was able to take her to a nursery for about 4 hours that first night before she was returned to my room at 4 a.m..  (I recall that there was subsequent discussion about eliminating the hospital's nursery but I don't know whether this has occurred yet).

I couldn't help but wonder whether this conversation with Dr C reflected a clash of cultures or whether the conversation is lamenting what used to be more readily available in the dominant culture?  Are we as a community adequately supporting new mothers?  I don't have a particular position either supporting or opposing hospital births versus at-home births.  I can't help but wonder either way whether our post-delivery care has improved or is it a step back from where we were 40 or more years ago?  Any thoughts?