Indigenous practices of pregnant women at the Dilokong Hospital of the Greater Tubatse Municipality in the Limpopo Province

Abstract

Indigenous practices (IPs) are experiences generated by people who are living in a specific region context and a specific cultured group. IPs are shaped by cultural traits that are passed from one generation to the next. The practices are rooted and embedded in such a society and, therefore, the practices become part of the people’s lifestyle. It is difficult to try and change these practices, since people have adhered to them throughout their entire lives. The believe system plays a major role in health care seeking behaviour of individuals because they are informed by the IPs that are observed in their environment (Shaik & Hatcher, 2005). IPs are stored in people’s memories and are expressed in songs, dances, beliefs, rituals, cultural values, myths, and healing of diseases by using herbs. During pregnancy, IPs are still applied worldwide. Ayaz and Efe (2008) indicate that it occurs mostly in Turkey and Africa where women’s reassurance is depending on the local context and meaning of pregnancy. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To determine indigenous practices of pregnant women at the Dilokong Hospital in the Greater Tubatse Municipality of the Limpopo Province.This was achieved by the exploring and describing the indigenous practices of pregnant women in the antenatal (ANC) clinic of the maternity ward at the Dilokong Hospital.. DESIGN AND METHOD A qualitative, descriptive, explorative and contextual research design was used for the participants to describe the indigenous practices by pregnant women. Data was collected by means of unstructured one-on-one interviews in maternity unit of the ANC clinic at the Dilokong Hospital of the Greater Tubatse Municipality. Ethical considerations as described by Denosa (2000) were adhered to in order to ensure the v quality of the study. The criteria for trustworthiness were observed as stipulated in Babbie and Mouton (2009).Fifteen pregnant women were interviewed. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Four themes with sub-themes emerged from the data analysis by using Tech’ṡ open coding approach (Creswell 2006, Botma, Greef, Mulaudzi & Wright, 2010). Four themes were emerged namely; indigenous practices based on ancestral knowledge; indigenous practices based on spiritual diviners versus church principles; restricted practices versus instructions followed during pregnancy and labour and indigenous practices during labour and delivery. It is recommended that a national IP strategy needs to be developed to provide a framework and platform to support and promote grass roots IPs into mainstream development in the health care system in relation to midwifery practice. CONCLUSION The study findings indicated that IPs were regarded as an honourable health intervention by THPs, families, and pregnant women. They showed trust in methods used to preserve pregnancy, labour, and delivery, although, the indigenous practices by pregnant women still continue. Indigenous practices such as cords around their waists, are still observed during physical examinations. However, there is a reduction of prescribed potions mixed with cool drinks for use to accelerate labour and to prevent negative consequences because the potential toxicity has been explained during the provision of health education. These findings call for health care professionals to emphasise training and workshops for the THPs church diviners that are the fundamental principle of effective implementation of IPs to enhance improvement in the prevention of complications during pregnancy, labour and delivery. KEYWORDS Pregnant women Indigenous practice Indigenous knowledge Antenatal care