Monique Births In America

“We arrived. Monique opened the door and an overpowering stench made me wince and pull back. Monique went straight in, but I needed to linger outside for a moment in the fresh air” (Holloway, 6). Monique having been trained as midwife and attended childbirths in Mali the birthing house and lingering smells were second nature and did not affect her being able to do her job. Kris however had to hold herself back because she had not experienced a birth in her lifetime. Even if she had she would not have experienced what Monique was accustomed to. Births in America take place in a fully equip and sterilized facility free of body fluids and rancid smells. In Mali, however all these women have are a mud hut, concrete block, and trained midwife. If they are lucky.
“Fatumata, where are you, I took a deep breath and crossed the threshold, the tin door wobbling as I shut it behind me. I felt as if I was drowning in the smell of fresh, body fluids, and leftover food”(Holloway, 7). In her book Kris Holloway talks about in Malia, despite the oppressive heat, women found a rare taste of money of privacy in an otherwise common world. In fact, the birthing house was one of the few hallowed grounds where men were not allowed to tread. People do not realize women in America have the choice of where they wish to experience the birth of their child. They can choose to use a hospital, a birthing center, or a home birth. The women in Mali and in developing countries do not get those choices. They either chose the birthing house with a midwife or they have it a home alone. Choices are something we are blessed with and these women that choice could end up being life or death. A choice that most of the women cannot to