“Só falta chegar a hora do puxo”: os saberes das parteiras tradicionais em uma comunidade quilombola na Amazônia paraense

Abstract

In this study I discuss aspects of the act of midwifery performed by traditional midwives in the quilombola and extractivist community of Vila de Joana Peres, in the municipality of Baião, state of Pará. Until the end of the 19th century, women like them were directly responsible for the care of mothers and babies during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. With the institutionalization and medicalization of childbirth in Brazil, however, traditional midwives lost their leading role in this care because they did not have knowledge based on Western (biomedical) science. As a result, they were disallowed to practice their craft and were gradually replaced - initially by certified midwives, and later by doctors and obstetricians. In traditional communities and in places far from urban centers, however, traditional midwives continue to resist. Participant observation through interviews proposes a qualitative approach with the aim of narrating the trajectories and experiences of traditional midwives in the community, focusing on their knowledge and practices relating to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care. The results indicate that the empirical knowledge of the traditional midwives in the quilombola community of Joana Peres is part of the local culture and is associated with health practices that go beyond childbirth. They also show that, although there are fewer of them than in the past, midwives are no less important today. However, they need motivation and appreciation, as well as the implementation of state public policies that are capable of repairing the marginalization imposed on them.