My Birth Expierence vs. A Birth Experience in Mexico

I had my first daughter in 1999, she was a planned pregnancy.  I had been married for 5 years prior to her birth and was surrounded by a supporting husband and extended family.  My pregnancy was a dream, no morning sickness, a weight gain of 29 pounds and lots of energy.  I worked up until 1 week before she was born and enjoyed each day of my pregnancy.  My husband and I took birthing classes and had determined that I would not opt for pain medications. We attended every prenatal appointment together and shared great joy during our ultra sound.  We carried a type of insurance that covered the entire prenatal care and birth at 100%.   I had been a long distance runner and felt that I had mastered the art of breathing and could apply it to the labor.  The due date came and went and I was eventually induced 7 days later.  I met the doctor at the hospital at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, July 14, 1999.  They decided to start an induction by vaginal placement rather than I.V., allowing my body to adjust over time.  I walked the halls most of that day.  They broke my water at 5:15 p.m. and she was born at 6:00 p.m.  After my water was broke I went in to full labor, fast and furious.  The nursing staff and doctor provided wonderful care and my husband stood by my side every moment.  Somewhere around 5:45 I decided it was crazy that I hadn't taken any pain medication, but it was too late to rectify the situation.  Born on that day was a beautiful 7lb 11.5 oz, 21.5 inch long baby girl, Jenna Evelyn.  It was the most beautiful experience.
In contrast to my birthing story I would like share a quote from an article, The Plight of Mexico's Indigenous Women, by Samuel Loewenberg.  He states, " Medically, the problem begins with a lack of prenatal visits, and then peaks catastrophically with the difficulty in accessing surgical care when complications occur during birth and in the days and weeks afterwards.

But the real culprits are poverty, insufficient education, poor transportation infrastructure, and a lack of medical staff. Overall, Mexico has made substantial progress in cutting its rate of maternal death. As a study in The Lancet recently noted, nationally maternal mortality has declined from 124 deaths per 100 000 livebirths in 1980, to 52 deaths per 100 000 by 2008. But the national numbers mask glaring inequalities, which continue to divide Mexico along lines of class, ethnicity, and geography."  Considering all that I have made available to me and my family it is most concerning the experiences that others, particularly the poor living in 2nd and 3rd world countries, have or don't have.  I had the priveledge of living a rural part of Mexico for 4 years,  while many of the rural areas have access to high quality health care facilities it is still only the wealthy that have access.  Universal healthcare is available to all, however the facilities that provide the care are often sub-par and/or dangerous.  Many of the families that I worked with during that time frame opted for minimal care during pregnancy due to transportation issues or lack of availability of care.  Many of the public health care centers provide care on a first come first serve basis, making a check up a 6-8 hour experience.  Culturally this has become a way of life for them, their experiences are part of a norm, however as a non resident of Mexico I realized the severe differences in care made available to U.S. residents.