On a serene morning in Mexico City, Regina Llanes Granillo and another skilled midwife began a ‘sobada,’ a traditional Mayan abdominal massage on a new mother. Using warm lavender and lemon balm oil, they gently massaged the woman’s stomach, delicately guiding her body to realign after childbirth. At the navel, they paused, seeking a subtle ‘heartbeat,’ a psychic pulse they believed would reveal the body’s energy balance.
This powerful ritual honored not just the baby born months prior, but also the profound transformation of Ms. Cisneros, their friend, into a new mother—a ‘birth within a birth.’ Following the massage, Ms. Cisneros was carefully bound with shawls and then led to an herb-infused bath. Experts note that an increasing number of women in Mexico are choosing these ancestral midwife practices, deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions and wisdom.
Moments from the massage and other postpartum rituals performed by midwives for Ms. Cisneros after the birth of her first child, her daughter, in Mexico City.
Much like the rising interest in midwives and doulas in the United States and Europe, Mexico has observed a notable surge in demand for these traditional practices, particularly within its bustling capital. Women seeking an alternative to the often impersonal experience of modern hospitals report that these ancient traditions offer a more intimate and holistic approach to childbirth and postpartum recovery.
Mexican midwives, or *parteras*, frequently express a critical view of conventional obstetric care. They contend that hospitals tend to over-medicalize childbirth and women’s health, leading to rigid protocols and unnecessary interventions that can strip women of their autonomy. In vivid contrast, midwifery champions an ancestral, holistic methodology that profoundly prioritizes a woman’s individual choices, emotional well-being, and unique circumstances.
Ms. Cisneros, who is herself a trained midwife, elucidates that the prevailing “medical model treats natural processes like pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause as illnesses to be cured or merely physical events, largely ignoring their deeper, interconnected dimensions.” She notes a growing trend among women who seek care that acknowledges not only the physical body but also their emotional and spiritual journey, recognizing childbirth and motherhood as profound physical, cultural, social, and emotional experiences.
Until recently, modern medicine in Mexico largely dismissed these older midwifery traditions. Some doctors still caution that replacing professional obstetric care with traditional practices can be risky, especially in cases of complicated pregnancies. Nevertheless, even skeptical health professionals acknowledge the vital role traditional midwives play as essential frontline healthcare providers in remote and rural areas where clinics and hospitals are sparse or nonexistent. Government data indicates there are over 15,000 such midwives nationwide, though many believe the actual number is higher.
Dr. Alejandra Seligson, an OB-GYN in Mexico City, recognizes the important contribution of traditional midwives, particularly in rural settings, but emphasizes the inherent limitations of their care. Conditions such as pre-eclampsia, she stresses, necessitate close hospital monitoring. She advises that midwifery should be reserved for low-risk pregnancies to mitigate risks for both mothers and babies, especially in urban environments where traffic can critically delay emergency transfers. “Every minute counts,” Dr. Seligson warns. “A swift hospital transfer can mean the difference between a baby suffering permanent brain damage or not.” She firmly believes that obstetric care and traditional midwifery are not mutually exclusive but should, in fact, coexist, offering complementary forms of care.
Amparo Calderón, a 48-year-old traditional midwife of Mayan heritage living on the outskirts of Mexico City, feels that public perception, especially abroad, has often narrowly reduced traditional midwifery to mere images of Indigenous women delivering babies. “In truth it encompasses a much broader, ancestral philosophy and worldview,” Ms. Calderón clarifies, adding that the actual number of traditional midwives is likely an undercount, as many remain unregistered with the government.
Despite historical oversight, the practice has seen a significant resurgence in recent years, finding fertile ground in Mexico’s major cities—a trend considerably accelerated by the recent pandemic.
A traditional midwife, Amparo Calderón, gently touching Ana López’s belly as they discuss a birth plan in Chimalhuacán, Mexico.
During the pandemic, the specter of overcrowded hospitals and the fear of contagion prompted many expectant mothers to seek out midwives. They discovered a safer, more intimate alternative, often receiving care at home or within specialized midwife centers known as *casas de partería*.
Ms. Cisneros, 26, who completed a rigorous four-year training program at a center in the capital, asserts that midwifery provides a “more dignified, loving, and respectful” approach to pregnancy, birth, and motherhood compared to the often clinical and standardized hospital environments. During her own postpartum session, Mrs. Llanes, 29, utilized cigar-shaped sticks of dried mugwort and charcoal, lit and held near the skin to warm specific points—a technique found in various traditional medicine systems worldwide. Mexican midwives commonly extend these therapeutic heat applications to include warm volcanic rocks or freshly pressed tortillas.
Next came “el abrazo del rebozo” – the “embrace of the shawl” – a profound ritual intended to symbolically ‘close’ a woman’s spirit and energy after the immense opening of childbirth. Seven intricately woven shawls were meticulously laid out, each then draped and tightened around a specific part of Ms. Cisneros’s body. The hips, Mrs. Llanes explained, were bound most tightly to aid in pelvic realignment, with each shawl imbued with its own symbolic meaning. “The wrapping is like an embrace that centers you and holds you,” reflected Ms. Cisneros, who gave birth to her daughter, Inti, in June. “It seals everything that was opened to usher in your baby’s life.” To culminate this part of the ritual, the two midwives swaddled Ms. Cisneros across her chest, creating a powerful self-hug—a symbolic “act of return.”
The midwives consistently emphasize that their holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth offers a distinct contrast to many modern medical methodologies.
Ms. Cisneros also received a soothing massage and precise pressure-point treatments, integral parts of her postpartum care.
The “el abrazo del rebozo,” or embrace of the shawl, stands out as a crucial ritual, meticulously designed to gently close a woman’s spirit and energy after the transformative and expansive experience of childbirth.
Finally, enveloped in layers of comforting fabric, Ms. Cisneros emerged cocoon-like, as if she herself were being born anew. “No woman is ever the same after giving birth,” Mrs. Llanes thoughtfully remarked. Her body and spirit were then anointed with a restorative bath, infused with arnica, basil, lemon balm, calendula, rosemary, and other potent medicinal plants. After a while, her baby daughter was gently lowered into the warm water with her, allowing them to rest together in a quiet, tender embrace.
These traditional wrapping ceremonies and herbal postpartum baths represent just two of the myriad practices offered by *parteras* throughout Mexico and across other parts of Latin America. In Mexico, midwives generally fall into three broad categories: those who undergo formal training at universities and institutions; independent midwives, such as Ms. Cisneros and Mrs. Llanes, who are trained through programs run by nonprofits and *casas de partería* (which skillfully blend modern obstetric training with traditional practices); and traditional midwives, whose knowledge is passed down orally, often within Indigenous languages and communities.
The Mexican government has recently taken steps to formally recognize the vital role of midwifery in women’s health. In March, it issued a decree officially acknowledging the immense value of midwives and committing to establish clear criteria for integrating midwifery services into national maternal healthcare programs.
A soothing bath, infused with arnica, basil, lemon balm, calendula, rosemary, and other medicinal plants, prepared for Ms. Cisneros and her daughter.
Midwives emphasize that long before the advent of modern clinics or doctors, they were the indispensable caregivers guiding women through labor, often saving lives with nothing more than their seasoned hands and profound experience. Before commencing the day’s rituals, Ms. Cisneros offered a heartfelt prayer, meticulously setting a sacred intention. “I call upon all this love and gratitude I feel, the profound knowing that I am not alone, that I don’t have to be alone,” she articulated. “And that the unwavering support of other women is what truly sustains me and has kept me strong throughout this entire transformative journey.”