History and experiences of riverside women in home birth with traditional midwives and the reduction of this practic

Abstract

Objectives: To understand the process of traditional home birth and the factors that contributed to the decline in the practice of traditional midwives, based on the experiences of riverside women from the Rio Itamimbuca community in Igarapé-Miri, Pará, Brazil. This is a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study with an approach applied to the local context. Data collection occurred between July 2024 and March 2025 through semi-structured interviews guided by five key questions. Five women aged between 50 and 80 years, who experienced home birth assisted by traditional midwives, were interviewed. All interviews were recorded, fully transcribed, and analyzed using thematic content analysis, enabling the identification of patterns, meanings, and emerging categories. Results: Five main categories were identified: pre-labor dynamics; preparations and techniques used by midwives; models of care; shared knowledge in the postpartum period; and causes of the disappearance of the practice. The participants emphasized the social, symbolic, and cultural importance of traditional midwives, associating the decline of this practice with modernization, increased access to hospital care, institutionalized health policies, and the devaluation of traditional knowledge. Conclusions: Despite the reduction of traditional home birth, midwives’ knowledge remains alive in collective memory and local culture. The importance of documenting these practices as cultural heritage is reinforced, valuing intergenerational knowledge transmission and strengthening the identity of riverside communities.