05/19/2003

This woman is pregnant with twins, who are due within the next two weeks. In the past, she was assisted by a midwife or traditional birth attendant, but since she is having twins she will give birth in a hospital for the first time. She has four other children.  Her husband looks for work daily.  She is from Basra. They came here because they had nowhere else to go. One of her children goes to school, but the others are too young. They have some Oil for Food rations remaining, but they buy additional food when they can. Inflation has made food expensive. Before the war, they received their food on the 10th of every month. She does not know how the system will work now. She says there is so much disorder. She explained, “They (the United States) brought us freedom, but we do not have stability or freedom. We are still waiting. My boy has asthma. It is expensive to take care of him. We pay for the government hospital and it is expensive.”A man squatting in the same building interrupted to add, “With Saddam, it was better because every tenth of the month we would receive food. With this freedom you have brought so many problems and thievery.”