Traditional midwives and medicalization of childbirth in a rural area of Amazonas

Abstract

In rural Amazonian communities, midwifery is still part of some women’s knowledge. However, the expansion of access to the public health system has increased the medicalization of childbirth, which re-signified the role of midwives. This paper discusses the role of midwives in this context, their traditional practices and techniques. Midwifery learning happened in adolescence and youth, young women were initiated in the practice while accompanying older midwives. We also found that midwives play an important role in decisionmaking about referral of pregnant women to deliver their babies in city hospitals, in addition they also play an important role during pregnancy, and sometimes in the delivery and puerperium. Therefore, they continue to be part of the network of caregivers, where more recently there has been interaction between traditional practices and scientific medical knowledge.

Key words:
midwives; traditional knowledge; medicalization; women; Amazonia