Initiative to Declare Traditional Midwifery as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Yucatán – The Yucatan Times
Deputy Fabiola Loeza Novelo proposed, this November 16, an initiative to declare the traditional practice of midwifery in Yucatan as intangible cultural heritage of the State, thinking that this would contribute to the recognition of this work in order to preserve it.
From the legislator’s point of view, this work is important because it includes not only the reception of babies, but also pregnancy monitoring and post-pregnancy care, so declaring it as such would contribute to its recognition and preservation with an approach to belonging.
In the cities, she specifies, the follow-up of the stages of the pregnancy is generally done by public or private consultation; however, within the state, such reviews are done with the women of the Mayan community.
“These women are heirs to an ancestral culture linked to the traditional roots of childbirth,” she said.
The traditional Yucatan midwife, she sensitized, “symbolizes an emotional bond between women and the original roots of the Mayab”, who have received a gift from generation to generation and have an apprenticeship in favor of women and infants.
“They are also the guarantors of timely access to care, care and protection. These midwives are not only present during the birth of the baby, but also throughout the gestation period; they are responsible for giving massages, checkups and specific instructions to expectant mothers and fathers on how best to take care of the pregnancy, she explained.
Until three years ago, she explained, there were more than 180 midwives in Yucatán, as local Mayan indigenous women learned; “but I’m sure that in 2022 there will be many more” and she believes that we must recognize them, as well as train them.
“The importance of traditional midwifery practice is so great that each year more than 17,000 births are attended by rural midwives, babies who not only receive but also accompany, because together with mothers and fathers they attend the consultations with empathy and a good disposition”, Fabiola Loeza Novelo concluded.
TYT Newsroom
Comments are closed.