Since the beginning of time, the human race has been extended by one of the most important biological processes: procreation. Childbearing and child rearing serve two distinct functions, but both are essential for the survival of the human race. Understanding the basic elements of these two important functions can help you make vital decisions about your role in the process of having and raising children.
Definition
Childbearing is the process of conceiving, carrying and delivering a baby. Child rearing involves raising a child and helping him learn the necessary life skills to function properly as an adult. Without these two essential processes, the human race would cease to exist in only a matter of a generation. Scholars have studied the nature of childbearing and child rearing in an effort to understand humans' motivation for wanting to have and raise children and in an attempt to help equip existing parents and hopeful parents with the best tools for carrying out these biological functions.
Reproductive Process
Although the reproductive process remains unchanged -- a woman's egg must be fertilized by a man's sperm, then carried full-term to produce a new human -- how the process is carried out has expanded through time, thanks to medical science. Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is the most common start to the process. But other means, such as in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, are additional ways for couples who have trouble conceiving by natural means to bear a child.
Full-Term Babies
The childbearing process can start for women as early as the onset of puberty, just before the first menstrual cycle, according to Columbia University. A baby is considered full-term when the mother has reached her 37th week of pregnancy. Full-term pregnancies can deliver anywhere between weeks 37 and 40. Anything before 37 weeks is considered preterm or premature.
Varying Practices
Child-rearing practices vary widely, and the specific, long-term effects of the various forms of child rearing -- single parents or gay couples vs. traditional families, for example -- have not been well established. There are some specific child-rearing practices, such as breastfeeding, that have been shown to have a specific positive impact on children.
Prevention
For people who may want to put off or eliminate the possibility of childbirth and beyond, there are several options, according to Planned Parenthood. Contraceptive methods vary widely, and include the barrier method -- such as condoms or a diaphragm -- and the hormonal approach by way of birth-control pills. Some people prefer to use natural birth-control methods by keeping track of the woman's ovulation cycle and avoiding sex during peak ovulation times of the month, though this is not recommended.
