Ethnobotanical study of traditional Malay midwifery practices: prenatal and postnatal care treatment

• Main Authors: Ramya, Razanah, Kammona, Suhair, Mohd Hatta, Farah Ayuni, Wan Sulaiman, Wan Syibrah Hanisah, Mohd Latiff, Nur Hanie, Ishak, Nooriszai, Mat Jusoh, Nor Hafizana, Othman, Rashidi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Scientific Organization 2022
• Subjects: GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography; GR Folklore; GT Manners and customs; H Social Sciences (General); HM621 Culture; HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; QK Botany; RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RS Pharmacy and materia medica
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/99635/1/99635_Ethnobotanical%20study%20of%20traditional%20Malay.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/99635/; http://www.iscientific.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20-IJCBS-22-21-20.pdf

In Malaysia, a majority of the programs focus more on antenatal care for ensuring safe childbirth and delivery. For this purpose, the public health service programs have implemented many steps like health education, home visits, and health screening, as a component of postpartum care. The traditional Malay midwifery practices include 13 processes that were classified into 2 categories, i.e., prenatal and postnatal care treatment. The prenatal practices that were carried out by the traditional Malay midwives included prenatal confinement and swinging the tummy ceremony; while the postnatal practices included 11 processes that were further classified into 4 stages, i.e., using traditional herbs, heat, massage and abstinence, which were implemented after childbirth (i.e., postnatal) or a miscarriage. In this study, the researchers have attempted to identify and investigate the different Malay traditional prenatal and postnatal practices that were carried out by the traditional Malay midwives from the 11 Malaysian states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu. For this purpose, they conducted a qualitative study of 31 traditional Malay midwives from 11 Malaysian states. The data was obtained by observations and conducting face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results highlighted the distribution of knowledge possessed by the Malaysian midwives, which was based on inheritance (72%), where knowledge was transferred from the previous generation to the current generation; from dreams (16%); or both inheritance and dreams (12%). It was further noted that a majority of the traditional Malay midwives used a traditional bath (97%); while many practised the body girdle step (90%); prenatal confinement and a point massage (84%); body massage (77%); swinging the tummy ceremony or lenggang perut (74%); body spread (61%); vaginal heat and use of herbal decoctions (58%); forehead treatment (55%); postnatal confinement (45%); herbal treatments (39%) and miscarriage (32%). The midwives believed that prenatal and postnatal treatment was essential for regaining and rejuvenating the emotional and physical state of the mother and stabilising her hormonal levels. Thus, the similarities and differences that were noted in the implementation of the prenatal and postnatal treatments in the 11 Malaysian states were attributed to their beliefs, culture, taboos and local environment