Submission Type
Poster
Start Date
4-21-2022
Abstract
Traditional birthing assistants (TBA) have been used to assist many women in various cultures with at-home childbirth. In Latin America, especially in traditional Maya communities, the use of TBAs has a very historical and cultural significance. Midwives, also known as comadronas, are said to have been called upon by divine supernatural powers to become midwives for their communities. Comadronas are considered to be spiritual beings who can predict pregnancies, interpret signs within births, and foresee the future of the child. However, practices surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care have changed due to the increase in biomedicalized care within several areas of Latin America. This study explores the circumstances that have led to an increase in the use of hospital births with biomedical practitioners and a decrease in at-home births with TBAs. The purpose of this study is to examine factors surrounding decisions to experience pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care in traditional versus biomedical contexts. Interviews of mothers of young children living in two Yucatec villages, Coba and Sahcab Mucoy, provide data for this study. Comparisons are made between pregnancy related decisions in Coba, which has transitioned to a cash economy, and Sahcab Mucoy, which has retained a more traditional subsistence economy.
Recommended Citation
DeMaria, Jillian, "265 -- The Effects of Biomedicalization of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postnatal Care on Maya Midwives" (2022). GREAT Day Posters. 93.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2022/posters-2022/93
265 -- The Effects of Biomedicalization of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postnatal Care on Maya Midwives
Traditional birthing assistants (TBA) have been used to assist many women in various cultures with at-home childbirth. In Latin America, especially in traditional Maya communities, the use of TBAs has a very historical and cultural significance. Midwives, also known as comadronas, are said to have been called upon by divine supernatural powers to become midwives for their communities. Comadronas are considered to be spiritual beings who can predict pregnancies, interpret signs within births, and foresee the future of the child. However, practices surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care have changed due to the increase in biomedicalized care within several areas of Latin America. This study explores the circumstances that have led to an increase in the use of hospital births with biomedical practitioners and a decrease in at-home births with TBAs. The purpose of this study is to examine factors surrounding decisions to experience pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care in traditional versus biomedical contexts. Interviews of mothers of young children living in two Yucatec villages, Coba and Sahcab Mucoy, provide data for this study. Comparisons are made between pregnancy related decisions in Coba, which has transitioned to a cash economy, and Sahcab Mucoy, which has retained a more traditional subsistence economy.
Comments
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