There were clear differences between birth in A Walk to Beautiful and Born in the USA. Here, I would like to call attention to the within nation differences and use that to address the between nation differences. During Born in the USA we saw several different types of births in America. Though it wasn’t a complete list it definitely gave enough perspectives to be labeled as birth in America. In A Walk to Beautiful, only one type of birth was seen and we have labeled it, in our class, birth in Ethiopia. I think this is an unfair label.  As stated in class, a lot of women in Ethiopia, especially in cities, give birth in a hospital. Though the problem of fistulas is a grave one, it presents only one view. I think we should be cautious in taking one view, especially our first and only view, to be the beacon of truth for an entire people.

In comparing childbirth in Ethiopia and the US in today’s world, there is obviously a tremendous discrepancy between the two.  Ethiopia is on one end of the spectrum, with many rural areas with very limited access to any medical care, while in the US the pendulum has swung too far the other way where birth has become almost entirely medicalized.  As far as what policy could be implemented in either place to improve outcomes, I think that Ethiopia would benefit most from education–about prenatal care, nutrition, the labor process, fistulas, etc–whether this is on the level of nurses, midwives, or the general population.  I think that the US would most benefit from bringing back midwives to the full scope of their practice outside of the hospital, following Europe in returning to a bit more traditional way of childbirth. Additionally, I think that formula companies in the US should be banned from providing free samples to new mothers, as this drive for business can lead to poorer health outcomes for infants.

I have gotten relatively far into Monique and the Mango Rains but, what has stood out to me is Anita Diamant’s immersion into the culture of Mali. In her introduction she lays out the history of Mali from its kingdoms and world famous landmarks, to its colonial roots. I felt this relates to what we have discussed in class. We talk a lot about education which is huge for developed countries, as well developing. But as I read on I see Diamant’s everyday learning such as the pagnes, Monique’s marriage, etc. So, I believe it is very important to learn the customs and culture of wherever you intend to do work such as midwifery, because something like birth is so sacred and special. By learning the customs and culture of wherever you work you are able to teach the people in communities and empower them.

Welcome to the wordpress site for Birth and Global Health! This site is new for me, so I will be learning as we go along. The main purpose of this site is to allow you to blog your responses to the readings and/or discussions that we are having in class. You may blog as often as you like, but you must enter a blog at least five times during the semester, and respond five times to a blog.