|
A unique project explores the indigenous knowledge of traditional midwives.
In India two-thirds of births still occur at home with the able assistance of dais (traditional midwives). Approximately 1 million Indian women work as midwives, attending 90 per cent of births in rural and poor areas. Matrika is a unique project launched to explore this indigenous knowledge of India’s dais. The project was motivated by the fact that dais are being increasingly marginalised in the modern medical system which refuses to recognise their skills. It stresses the need for a sensitive appreciation of the dais’ rites and rituals. Most dais are poor women belonging to the lower castes. Yet, in the village setting, the dai has an intimate, longstanding relationship with the families she serves. She is cons! ulted during pregnancy, called when childbirth seems imminent, stays with the family and attends to the mother and child for several days. Matrika’s research among dais revealed a range of practices that were suited to their region and clientele. For instance, in rural Rajasthan, a bed of clean, heated sand is made for the birthing woman to lie on. The sand foments her body and absorbs the blood and other waste. The sand is later thrown away. The study also indicates that dais are highly skilled in most situations of normal childbirth. Their knowledge is based on systematic training and extensive experience. Skills are acquired through long years of apprenticeship with an older dai. They use readily available local materials including herbs and spices to ease the birth and help the mother recover from pregnancy. Dais use a hands-on approach, particularly massage, during delivery. They ap! ply oil to the vagina to ease the baby’s passage. They feed the woman milk with ghee or other special foods to give her strength. They do not cut the cord till the placenta is delivered. If the child is weak and struggles for breath, they revive it by heating the placenta. Employing the services of a dai is not only cheaper, but is sustainable and accessible. In a study in rural Maharashtra, it has been calculated that the average total cost incurred for a birth is Rs 46! Matrika hopes that its research will give modern health planners and practitioners a better perspective on the dai and her social role. Contact: Janet Chawla, Matrika
120 Sunder Nagar
New Delhi 110 003, India
! Tel: 91-11-462 1190/461 1821
Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
