Puerto Vallarta Students Participate in the Extracurricular Program Called "Virtual Mom"

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Regional Preparatory Students of Puerto Vallarta participate in the extracurricular program called "Virtual Mom", which aims to raise awareness among students about early motherhood, which involves physical and psychological process involved and even the expenses this creates.

Thus voluntary students who participate must care for a virtual baby for five days, which should be fed as often as required, change the diaper, and other care that a newborn needs; the baby can not be left at home, so that young people take time from their class schedules to care.

The director of the Regional Preparatory, Armando Soltero Macías, said the "Virtual Mom" program originates from the detection of a lack of commitment, interference and responsibility of each family in the case of teenage pregnancy students.

"We are concerned about the pregnancy of the students which had regularly been between seven and 10 cases a year. Now after implementation of the program, there has only been one."

In some cases, the students experience the program individually but they may also share the responsibility with their partner.

The virtual baby cries when it is hungry, has colic or needs to sleep. It is also necessary to feed and change the diapers and also to hold the baby when needed. Actions of a real baby are simulated and the young women are put on a wrist sensor which identifies that the virtual baby is with its "mom."

This program is divided into four stages: physically simulating pregnancy, living with a doll that records the attentions of the alleged mother, attending a live birth, as well as participation in various papers on the management of responsible sexuality.

 Process

The dynamic is that the student who voluntarily enroll in the program to experience various activities and situations a woman in gestation and duties as a mother when the baby is born.

In the first step, the student is placed in a device shaped apron weighing nine to 13 kilos, which also allows direct recreation, during five days of so-called "shame attacks" increased pressure on bladder and even changing positions when seat and walking.

Subsequently, the participant attends a virtual pregnancy royal birth in Vallarta Regional Hospital, which "takes a second impression of what is the process and the difficulties of labor."

During the third phase, the student takes over the doll representing a four months baby. She has to live and serve the needs that it requires 24 hours a day.