https://doi.org/10.37955/cs.v8i3.353
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eISSN: 2600-5743
Practices and traditional beliefs
around puerpera in the regions of
Ecuador
Prácticas y creencias tradicionales en torno a puérperas
en las regiones del Ecuador
Deicy Dolores Quizhpi Palchizaca
Licenciada en enfermería, Magister en Gestión del Cuidado, Universidad Católica de
Cuenca, docente deicy.quizhpi@ucacue.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1936-7307
Luis Enrique Naula Chucay
Licenciado en enfermería, Magister en Enfermería mención en Cuidados Críticos
Universidad Católica de Cuenca, docente
luis.naula@ucacue.edu.ec https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4519-5939
Luis Alberto Rodriguez Muñoz
MSc. Universidad Católica de Cuenca, estudiante
luis.rodriguez.41@est.ucacue.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3518-5134
Robinson Stiven Cerquera Verjan
Msc. Universidad Católica de Cuenca, estudiante
robinson.cerquera.41@est.ucacue.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4298-8749
ABSTRACT
This research is supported by the need to analyze specific cases of the
different practices and traditional beliefs that are carried out in
puerperal women in the regions of Ecuador. A research method based
on a bibliographic review or exploratory description was used, having
a qualitative approach, in which; For the collection of information, an
exhaustive search of the most relevant concepts on traditional
practices and beliefs was carried out. The results of the present show
us that there is a great variety of practices, knowledge and customs
that have been carried out from generation to generation with the
purpose of keeping alive all the ancestral and traditional customs in
relation to puerperal women, a great majority of these customs have
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their ideology based on religious-spiritual thoughts, which consider
women as the center of everything, which group the mind, body and
spirit, and by encompassing all this, they are the main axes in altering,
what which generates not only damage to the woman, but also to the
mother-child relationship, from the moment of fertilization.
RESUMEN
La presente investigación se respalda en la necesidad de analizar casos
puntuales sobre las diferentes prácticas y creencias tradiciones que se
lleva a cabo en mujeres puérperas en las regiones del Ecuador. Se
empleó un método de investigación basado en una revisión
bibliográfica o descripción exploratoria, teniendo un enfoque
cualitativo, en el que; para el levantamiento de información se realizó
una exhaustiva búsqueda de los conceptos más relevantes sobre
prácticas y creencias tradicionales. Los resultados de la presente nos
manifiestan que existen una gran variedad de prácticas, saberes y
costumbres que se han llevado a cabo de generación en generación
teniendo como propósito la mantener vivas todas las costumbres
ancestrales y tradicionales con relación a las puérperas, una gran
mayoría de estas costumbres tienen su ideología fundamentada en
pensamiento religiosos-espirituales, los cuales consideran a la mujer
como el centro de todo, las cuales agrupan el espíritu, la identidad,
lamente, la esencia y el cuerpo, y al abarcar todo esto, son los
principales ejes en alterarse, lo cual genera no solamente daño en la
mujer, sino también en la relación madre y recién nacido, erradicado
desde la fecundación.
Keywords / Palabras clave
Pregnancy, puerperium, practices, beliefs
Embarazo, puerperio, practicas, creencias.
Introduction
Ecuador is defined as an intercultural country, because all inhabitants
interact between different cultures, having a communicative process,
knowing different customs and maintaining a regime of respect in
which no cultural group is above the other or vice versa, this leads to a
country rich in coexistence, equality and harmonious integrity.
According to the Council of Nationalities and Peoples of Ecuador
(CODENPE), there are currently 18 peoples and 14 nationalities in
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Ecuador, reflecting the multicultural and plurinational variety
(Ministerio Cordinador De Patrimonio, 2019).
"In 2020, 191 maternal deaths were registered, representing a
maternal mortality ratio of 57.6 per 100,000 live births" (INEC, 2021).
Of these data, the greatest vulnerability is in the indigenous women's
sector, due to which the knowledge of beliefs plays a very important
role as it simplifies the continuity of the problem, considering that
each and every one of the different regions have their own beliefs and
practices, which is why traditional practices and beliefs play an
essential role in the Ecuadorian community.
The Interculturality Approach in the Model of Integrated Health Care
and in the Integrated Public Health Network relates the
implementation of strategies which allow us to incorporate a
comprehensive approach to the well-being of different archaic-
ancestral cultures, beliefs and traditional practices, having an
intercultural approach (Balarezo, 2017).
Under this reality, the question arises: What are the main traditional
practices and beliefs surrounding postpartum women in the regions of
Ecuador?
The present study is based on the need to analyse specific cases
focused on the different traditional beliefs and practices of postpartum
women in the regions of Ecuador, which generates interest in future
readers. Despite the different authorities and approaches of the state,
it is still not understood by many communities and maternal and
infant mortality is currently considered a very relevant problem in the
different communities, which are affected by the lack of economic
resources, ethnicity, gender, inclusion and poor access to different
health services. The established objectives will allow us to identify the
main traditional practices and beliefs surrounding postpartum women
in the regions of Ecuador.
Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum are stages in which women go
through a large number of changes, both physical and physiological,
and they are also stages of vulnerability, in which different
complications can arise; because of this, health care services are
essential, not only for the survival of the newborn, but also for the
puerperal woman, to improve her health in all aspects (Paul & García,
2021).
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It is important to have not only health services, controls and others,
but also to recognise the different beliefs necessary in the postpartum
process, which favour the health of these elements.
This explains the importance and relevance of the present
investigation of the topic addressed, emphasising that it is carried out
with the aim of recognising the main traditional practices and beliefs
regarding postpartum women in the regions of Ecuador.
The present article presents the following general objective:
- To identify the main traditional practices and beliefs about
postpartum women in the regions of Ecuador.
From which it derives the following specific objectives:
- To analyse the main traditional practices of postpartum women in
the regions of Ecuador.
- To establish the main traditional knowledge of postpartum women
in the regions of Ecuador.
- To compare the different knowledge, practices and beliefs of
postpartum women in different regions.
Previous studies that have been carried out on the topic presented.
Carla María Ordinola Ramírez, Miguel Angel Barrena Gurbillón, Oscar
Andrés Gamarra Torres, Jesús Rascón & Fernando Corroto, (2019).
"Beliefs and customs of mothers and midwives for the care of
pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium in the district of Huancas
(Chachapoyas, Peru)" with the aim of providing an overview of the
traditional customs used during the care executed in the period of
pregnancy, puerperium and childbirth in the city of Huancas.
The study was carried out in the current descriptive phenology, a
qualitative methodology used to gather experience in "field research",
through large-scale informative interviews, participant focus groups
and analysis. This allows to relate in an affective way both mothers and
midwives of the province-district of Huancas, trying to understand the
behaviour and human nature (Ordinola, 2019).
The purpose is to describe and analyse the ideas, beliefs, meanings,
knowledge and practices of groups, cultures and communities.
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Likewise, rituals, symbols, social functions, kinship, migration and
networks, among others, have been studied in order to describe and
analyse the living habits of the inhabitants of the district of Huancas
during pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium. On the other hand,
their implications for this behaviour carried out in general
circumstances were considered (Ordinola, 2019).
A content analysis was conducted, resulting in a reading and re-
reading of each interview. It is then separated into units of common
meaning, by phrases and representative words, negative effects, loss of
knowledge and ancestral practices (Ordinola, 2019).
Marisol Vega Macedo, (2021). "La atención del embarazo, el parto y el
posparto brindad por el personal local de salud: la partera tradicional
y la partera de la familia en comunidades indígenas de Chiapas"
(Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care provided by local health
personnel: the traditional midwife and the family midwife in
indigenous communities in Chiapas), aiming to influence the
midwives' company in a health system, promoting a salary or
monetary merit because of their work and in this way strengthening
new capacities.
Paguada Ardiles Lucia Ysabel; Salas Sumina Leny Karen, (2019).
"Cultural beliefs that hinder adequate care of pregnancy and childbirth
of pregnant patients in the hospital of Espinar-Cusco 2018" an article
which focused on determining how cultural beliefs prevented proper
monitoring and care of childbirth, postpartum and pregnant patients
in the hospital centre Espinar Cusco.
Gonzales José; Villavicencio Evelin (2019). "Intercultural practices in
the postpartum; Tixán 2019" whose objective was to determine the
intercultural practices of the postpartum; Tixán 2019.
In this study, semi-structured interviews were carried out for data
collection, which was applied to 8 postpartum women from Tixán,
with a qualitative approach of a phenomenological type, thus allowing
for the division by categories, it was sought to achieve all the objectives
set in order to reach the principle of theoretical saturation; followed by
coding the data with the use of different digital platforms (Gonzále,
2019).
The information obtained shows that postpartum women have their
own cultural practices related to maternal care (care from the medical
team, family support, food, daily life, etc.), daily routine, sequence,
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clothing, hygiene and complications) and NB (care from the nursing
staff). health, vaccinations, early consumption, bathing, examination,
umbilical cord care, breastfeeding, dressing, complications), which
can effectively enhance care interventions to ensure well-being and
improve the adaptation of the mother-child relationship, in social and
cultural contexts (Gonzále, 2019).
Ger Morales Karina Lisseth; Tumbaco Vilcacundo Sandra Cristina,
(2017). "Pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium a look from the Quitu-
Cara women in the community of Cocotog in the period October 2016
- March 2017" whose objective was to identify the main knowledge,
customs, practices in pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium in
reference to the culture of Quitu-Cara women.
The study is ethnographic in nature as it will be carried out in a specific
area of research, the Cocotog Society, descriptive as it will describe the
beliefs, customs and practices associated with pregnancy, childbirth
and childbirth of Quitu-Cara women. It will be qualitative, through
which we will collect research experiences in this field, through life
stories that will allow us to interact with the inhabitants of the Cocotog
community, especially with the women of Quitu-Cara, in an effort to
understand human nature and their natural environment (Ger, 2017).
Research developed from the knowledge, customs and practices of the
Quitu - Cara women of the Cocotog community with the aim of
recovering ancestral knowledge and seeking to establish a
harmonious, more inclusive and humane feminine dimension, based
on a revaluation of the rights of culturally diverse people. people. from
the moment of conception, the process of birth in a free position until
recovery (Ger, 2017).
In observing the objectives set out in the research, information is
extracted from primary sources through life stories. For the analysis
and implementation of Chapter IV, the objective is to delve into the
knowledge, customs and practices of pregnancy, childbirth and
childbirth among women of the Quitu-Cara culture, which is
nourished by the experiences of life stories narrated by two midwives
and a woman who has experienced pregnancy, childbirth and
postpartum in the cultural context in question (Ger, 2017).
Life histories allow us to analyse the cultural characteristics and the
medical and reproductive practices of our ancestors with all that
surrounds them (medicine, knowledge, secrets and something else)
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and finally to compare what we find with the written theoretical
elements (Ger, 2017).
Some of the changes experienced from generation to generation have
been verified. In the course of this study, we complied with informed
consent, respecting ethical considerations, that the real names of the
study subjects would not be used in the narrative of this chapter, and
only fictitious names will be used for this analysis (Ger, 2017).
The puerperium is defined as the period of time after childbirth in
which a number of physiological and anatomical changes occur in the
maternal woman induced or given by pregnancy, which is why its
duration is indefinite or imprecise, however, an average of four to six
weeks after childbirth is estimated (Creencias Y Costumbres Sobre
Cuidados Del Puerperio De Mujeres Ashaninkas Atendidas En El
Puesto De Salud Puente Ipoki, Satipo, 2021).
In stages, the puerperium can be divided into three periods (Octavio,
2017):
- Immediate puerperium: Present in the first 24 hours after delivery.
- Early puerperium: This period manifests itself in the first week after
delivery.
- Late Puerperium: This period includes the necessary time in which
the involution of those organs necessary for gestation, such as the
genital organs, is completed, including the return to normality of the
maternal woman.
The return or involution of the maternal systems and organs that were
affected or underwent in one way or another that transformation
during pregnancy and childbirth, present modifications which
condition them to a large extent in their pre-gestational states.
The highest pregnancy rates in the world are found in the sub-regions
of Latin America and the Caribbean, and it should be noted that it is
estimated that the majority of these pregnancies are teenage
pregnancies. It is estimated that around 46 births per 1000 are to
adolescents, according to the global pregnancy rate (PAHO, 2019).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), childbirth and
the postpartum period are the times when women are most vulnerable
due to physiological changes in the mother and need comprehensive
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health care and rehabilitation by grandparents (World Health
Organization, 2019).
Common cultural practices include girding, feeding on chicken and
sheep broth, intimate hygiene and communal bathing with medicinal
herbs, Thursday walks, ear muffs, handkerchiefs, etc., are still in place
in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile.
"The postpartum period is an important period that comes right after
vaginal delivery or caesarean section, a period of 5 to 6 weeks during
which the organs of the anatomical part of the female reproductive
system return to their original normal state, i.e., their state before
pregnancy.
During this period, women adapt to postpartum changes, seeking
support from the family and social environment, especially when they
experience some discomfort, which they want to alleviate through the
way they carry out the inherited activities under their care (FdW,
2020).
- Warning signs during the postpartum period
- Dyspnoea
- Fever: Tº > 38 ºC
- Unretracted uterus
- Tears in the cervix or at perineal level
Belt: Should be comfortable and flexible, not rigid. The lump should
not be too tight at the beginning, as exercise improves muscle tone. In
the case of a caesarean section, bandaging the wound is not
recommended and sweating should be reduced.
Humans have close meanings to all aspects of reality; regardless of
their origin, what defines a woman's life after childbirth is the cause
and explanation of countless everyday behaviours. According to the
concept, the postpartum period is considered a period when the
mother's health is fragile and must be isolated. This means that during
these days, altered temperature rises or drops, or stimulating exposure
to the sun and hard work should be avoided, as this can lead to uterine
prolapse and bleeding in the woman.
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The woman also believes in the mal susto or evil eye, which is why she
always closes the door and does not let visitors in, even though this is
a mysterious and terrible disease that cruelly unbalances people and
suddenly, above all, is the mental and pathological state disease of the
indigenous people. It is believed that the soul of the woman has left the
body, there are various inconveniences such as loss of appetite, pallor,
general weakness, weight loss, low body temperature at the onset of
the disease, but it gradually increases with time.
"Many communities in this country and other Latin American
countries use medicinal plants to improve the ailments of the
population, moreover many of the communities live distant from
health posts" (Elizabeth, 2021).
One of the most common traditions in many Latin American countries
is that the child does not wear yellow as a symbol of health and
happiness. However, in many other places this colour is avoided to
quickly determine if a baby has jaundice. In many other places, an
infant is considered a little angel sent by God from heaven. She is clean
and pure, so she has to be dressed in perfect white for the first few
days. Sometimes one tradition is linked to another: taking the children
to the hospital chapel before leaving or stopping at the church on the
way home. This is done to present the new member of the family to
God and ask for his protection.
Among other traditions that are applied regionally (Bocanegra, 2019):
- Agüita de poleo To bring out the baby's cold.
- Bathing with herbs to bring out the cold.
- Agua de ruda y ajo para sacar el frío (Water of rue and garlic to bring
out the cold).
Those foods that are considered hot and cold are considered as food
prohibitions. There are certain foods which increase the condition of
warmth in which pregnant women find themselves, these foods are
conditioned to the excess of condiments, chili, salt, fatty or heavy (Ana
& Nahelcheo, 2019).
There are communities such as the Cocotog community, an indigenous
community located in the province of Quito, in which this community
presents particularities regarding their diet.
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"For the body only the care so that there is no pain and recover sooner
and for the milk only take oats and soups especially more liquids for
milk production and drink anise water so that the baby does not have
colic and not have iras because all this passes into the milk" (Lisseth &
Cristina, 2017).
Among other beliefs, breastfeeding is one of the main priorities for the
health of both the mother and the newborn, which is why there are a
number of traditional beliefs and practices such as:
"For milk you have to drink coladita de machica, sancocho de pescado,
don't wear a bra so there is more milk" (Lisseth & Cristina, 2017).
On the other hand, society as a whole recognises the value of the new
role acquired by the woman who has just had her baby, through rituals
and gifts. These authors suggest the need to incorporate an
anthropological perspective, thus including cultural patterns in the
study of the postpartum stage (Esther, 2017).
Materials and Methods
In order to strictly comply with the objectives set out in this study, a
research method based on a bibliographical review or exploratory
description was used, with a qualitative approach, in which; In order
to gather information, an exhaustive search was carried out for the
most relevant concepts on traditional practices and beliefs about
postpartum women in the regions of Ecuador, with emphasis on
identifying the different dogmas and customs that apply to postpartum
women in the regions of Ecuador, and based on contributions from
other authors in academic works such as theses, scientific articles,
books and websites, the necessary information was gathered to
demonstrate the background, risks, causes and other factors
associated with traditional beliefs about postpartum women.
Additionally, to complement the integral development of the project
we proceeded to investigate topics that really stand out to complement
the research on the topic to socialise, with the main objective of
compiling and analysing the most relevant information that gives way
to the development of the context, thereby allowing us to carry out the
respective analysis of the same, knowing the current reality with
respect to these different beliefs and traditions that are gradually
becoming known not only in Ecuador but in others as they are
interesting and really prodigious.
Inclusion criteria:
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• Articles published in the last 5 years.
• Population: Regions of Ecuador.
Exclusion criteria:
• Exclude books on the subject.
• Unreal or fictitious information from the population.
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Table 1. Specific Objective 1: To analyse the main traditional
practices in postpartum women in the regions of Ecuador.
Authors
Regions of
Ecuador
Traditional practices and
beliefs
Bardales
Baltodano
Sthefanie
Andean Region
or Highlands.
-Consumption of medicinal
plants.
Prado
Quilambaq
ui Jhofre
Andean Region
or Highlands.
-Food based on grains and
legumes.
Soraya
Martines
Nancy et.al
Coastal Region.
-Food based on grains and
tubers.
Armando
Med
ina
Juli
o Mayca
Oriente or
Amazon region
-Evil eye fright.
Results
The study focused on analysing the beliefs, knowledge, customs and
practices of postpartum women in the regions of Ecuador, with the aim
of informing the different communities about the main knowledge
applied to postpartum women, based on the revaluation of the customs
and rights of culturally diverse people.
In order to analyse the main objective of the research, it was decided
to collect bibliographical information from primary sources by
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reviewing various scientific articles. In order to produce the results,
the objective was focused on understanding and analysing in depth the
main traditional practices of postpartum women in the different
regions of Ecuador, based on a bibliographical review that
complemented the scientific research.
Coast or Littoral Region:
Nutrition: The coastal region is characterised by a very unbalanced
diet, due to the rhythm of life, however, in some parts of the region
there is a particularity of eating 3 fruits a day, whether they are acidic,
sweet or citric. It is very common to eat oranges and tangerines after
pregnancy, as it is believed that the pregnant woman should recover
the normality of her immune system.
In addition, many women eat vegetables such as spinach, chard, kale,
broccoli, as they are rich in iron, which women consider necessary
after childbirth.
Postpartum girdle: In some communities and cultures, girdling after
childbirth is a very common tradition, which is intended to help all the
muscles that have been stretched, return to normal, especially most
women girdle with other women who specialise in this, as it requires
strength and technique.
Red bracelet on the newborn: A very common belief in the region is
the use of a red bracelet on newborns, this has the purpose of
protecting them from bad vibes, envy, that strange people around
them, as it is believed that at the time of birth of a child is something
pure, and that their first months of life should be protected and
sheltered.
It is generally used when the newborn is taken out of the house, to
prevent strangers from scaring the child's eyes.
Encaderamiento: The coastal region is characterised by having one of
the most unique beliefs which is focused on the postpartum woman, it
consists of returning the mother's hips, by means of a woman
specialised in this area, who must have the strength and sufficient
capacity to be able to return the hips to their natural state, as it is
believed that after childbirth they lose their shape and damage the
woman's figure.
Andean Region or Highlands:
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Mal susto de ojo: Andean peoples and communities have beliefs in
relation to the mal susto de ojo, or as it is commonly known as "ojeo",
due to which it is common to deny access to visitors, relatives or
strangers, especially women who are pregnant or postpartum, because
it is believed to be a mental or pathological illness. There are a number
of beliefs that indicate that the woman's soul is believed to leave the
body, resulting in loss of appetite, pallor, general weakness, weight
loss, low body temperature, however, this gradually increases with the
passage of time.
The traditional practice to cure the evil eye scare is the use of a hen's
egg, which is passed around the whole body of the pregnant woman,
tracing crosses in each sector, in order to clean every impurity it
carries. Then this egg is deposited in a glass containing half of water,
in this way the different irregularities that are known as "candles of
ojeo" can be appreciated, which indicates that the pregnant woman or
the puérpera was with the bad scare of the eye.
Medicinal plants: One of the most common traditions among the
Andean population is the use of medicinal plants such as rue,
eucalyptus and montes agrios, on different occasions, because it is
believed that the use of these plants has a positive influence on the
structures of the skin.
The use of medicinal plants is by means of a bath with these boiled
plants, and then left to rest for about thirty minutes, so that the
curative properties adhere to the water, allowing a pure cleansing to
be obtained.
It is commonly used by pregnant and postpartum women in rural areas
far from the city, due to the limited mobility and especially the
inadequate use of medicines by the population.
"Many communities in this country and other Latin American
countries use medicinal plants to improve the ailments of the
population, moreover many of the communities live distant from
health posts" (Elizabeth, 2021).
Food: In the Andean region a very balanced diet is carried out in terms
of grains and legumes, in general it is usually very normal and common
in rural sectors is due to the great ease of obtaining all these types of
food.
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Pregnant and puerperal women eat a wide variety of fruit, milk, eggs
and vegetables, due to their high nutritional and energetic value. In
addition, their use is very varied, as they are used to make all kinds of
colada, whether it be bean colada, machica colada, or barley rice
colada.
One of the beliefs is the feeding of morocho, especially in pregnant
women, as it is believed that this favours the child to be born with a
high body mass index or "chubby" as it is commonly known.
The use of grains is elementary in the diet of a puérpera, among them
are: beans, peas, beans, beans, chickpeas, lentils. Some of the most
commonly used legumes are lettuce, turnip greens, spinach, which
favour correct bone maturation in newborns.
To add other types of vegetables, carrots and beetroot are used for
salads, which help to provide strength and energy so that the baby is
born healthy and well.
Swaddling the baby to sleep: This is commonly known as "fajar",
because the newborn is swaddled during the first months of life, as it
is believed that the child needs to be swaddled to simulate that it is still
inside the mother's belly, simulating her warmth and her narrow
space. A wide variety of the population claims that with this, most
babies sleep peacefully, as they tend to be frightened and wake up in
the middle of the night if they are not swaddled.
Mal susto: In some Amazonian communities, the native women have
a certain belief to protect the identity of the newborn, because it can
be creditor of something that is denominated as "mal susto", this is
very common since, in general they usually see the newborns in a
particular way to the others, in some communities they prevent the
visit of relatives and even visitors for an approximate of 10 days after
the childbirth.
In addition, they are also careful to avoid seeing animals such as pigs
and dogs.
It is recurrent that after 6 months postpartum, children are sung to
because it is considered that at that age they activate their hearing
capacity, however, it is also believed that the only person who can hold
the newborn is the father.
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In some scientific articles, it is also considered that in a certain part of
the eastern population the egg is used as part of healing when the
newborn has been suffering from fever, vomiting and diarrhoea for
days, because it may originate from a bad scare.
Feeding: The diet of postpartum women or pregnant women consists
basically of green plantains and other foods made from cassava,
supplemented with seeds, tubers, fruits and in some populations with
snails, honey and reptiles.
A strict diet is followed in terms of their wellbeing, because it brings
with it a number of problems, not only affecting maternal health, but
also that of the newborn child, including its care.
One of the most common beliefs is that a pregnant woman or a
pregnant woman should not eat papaya because her child may develop
the same shape as the papaya.
In addition to these, it is believed that she should not eat venison
because her child may become restless in its development, and in
pregnant women it may cause belly pain.
It is very common to hear native women say that puerperal women
should not eat monkey guts or viscera, because their child will develop
permanent diarrhoea.
Among some exotic animals that are forbidden for postpartum women
are snakes, hens, sparrow hawks, deer and tiger's foot, because they
can cause bronchitis and tachypnoea, and because they cannot take the
newborn out before 10 days after giving birth.
The main themes addressed for the analysis and interpretation of the
results were the different characteristics of the beliefs, practices and
customs of the regions of Ecuador that are applied to puerperal women
or during the puerperal period, since the regions are closely related in
some customs and practices in the community.
It can be concluded that, in relation to women, childbirth is a very
exciting process in their lives, which they claim improves their
affective-emotional world in a drastic way, as they say they feel the
greatest emotion, where they include their family. With respect to their
customs and traditional practices, they vary a lot according to the
region, however, they have in common the concept that appropriately
involves the body, mind and spirit of each pregnant woman, this
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Centro Sur Vol. 8 No. 3 – July - September
influences a lot in an adequate development of their evolution process,
since each belief and each practice has been carried for many years and
has been a symbol that characterises each region and each Ecuadorian
culture.
In Chile, a study headed by Dr. Ana María Alarcón, called "Etapas de
Desarrollo de niños mapuche desde la propia cultura" (Stages of
development of Mapuche children from their own culture), studied
milestones and intracultural patterns focused on the development of
children from 0 to 4 years of age, demonstrating the presence of a very
complex cultural care system for both the mother and the newborn.
This study showed that there is a set of cultural and social norms which
define what is not and what is allowed in relation to the pregnant
woman, highlighting strict food diets, cohibition of participation in a
certain number of social events and above all the prohibition of
encounters with spiritual or cultural beings that could harm the
integrity of the woman and the newborn.
Conclusions
Based on the objective and the results obtained in this research, the
following conclusions are drawn:
The puerperium is a period of vulnerability for both the mother and
the newborn, and beliefs vary according to each region. The mother
should eat a correct diet during this stage, however, this varies
according to each Ecuadorian region. The diet should be based on
grains, beans, lentils, oats, creams, vegetables and animals which
provide the necessary and adequate food for the correct development
of the mother, however, not all animals are beneficial, and unpalatable
meats such as reptiles and some exotic mammals should be avoided.
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