Ethnobotanical study of the rituals and plant materials used in the traditional Malay midwifery practices during the ‘lenggang perut’ ceremony

• 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: GN Anthropology; GR Folklore; GT Manners and customs; H Social Sciences (General); HM621 Culture; HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; QK Botany
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/99636/1/99636_Ethnobotanical%20study%20of%20the%20rituals.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/99636/; http://www.iscientific.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/18-IJCBS-22-21-18.pdf

‘Lenggang perut’ ceremony or ‘swinging the tummy’ is popularly practised during prenatal care and is generally held after the woman has completed 7 months of her pregnancy (particularly first pregnancy). However, there is a long list of tips and taboos that need to be practiced, based on the customs and beliefs of the people belonging to different Malay communities, and formulated according to their practices and experiences regarding good practice. Currently, millions of traditional Malays have started using plants as a primary source of their shelter, food, clothing, medicine and fuel. However, owing to rapid urbanization, the natural resources and related traditional beliefs are being eradicated. This has led to the worry that the huge volume of unrecorded folk information and knowledge would be lost indefinitely. In this study, the researchers have aimed to identify and investigate the ritual process of ‘lenggang perut’ and the different plant materials that are used by the traditional midwives during the swinging tummy ceremony conducted in the different states of Peninsular Malaysia. For this purpose, they conducted a qualitative study of 30 traditional Malay midwives, who were selected from Peninsular Malaysia. The data was obtained by observations and conducting face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results of the study indicated that 23 of the interviewed traditional midwives practiced the ‘lenggang perut’ as a form of prenatal care treatment. They used 14 different types of plant materials for the ceremony, which included palm, trees, shrubs, herbaceous matter, zingiber, macrophytes, aroids and climbers. This study indicated the significant differences between the localities, rituals and processes implemented during the ‘lenggang perut’ ceremony and also highlighted the composition of various plant materials that were used by the traditional midwives in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, these findings could be used as an effective tool for understanding the culture and environment of the local people and their efforts in preserving their cultural heritage, especially the Malay customs. The researchers also aimed to discover some novel bioactive compounds by carrying out an in-depth phytochemical and pharmacological study of the resources that were used.