Introduction
The post-partum period is a turning point in the life of women, with physical and psychological changes coupled with cultural shifts. This period is deeply influenced by a rich cultural fabric of expressions, beliefs, and practices that color the experiences of Mexican American women in particular and inform their caregiving principles not only to themselves but also to their newborns (Asadi et al., 2022). Coming from a mixed heritage of indigenous, Spanish, and Catholic traditions cultural beliefs like “la cuarentena” or the practices such as” pecho a pecho” play an important role. Also, myths like “mal de ojo” emphasize the need for protective rituals to secure both mother’s and child’s safety. Healthcare providers, especially DNP specialists need to understand these cultural peculiarities to provide culturally consistent care that respects and values the culture of Mexican American women during postpartum.
Cultural Beliefs and Myths
The beliefs and myths of Mexican American culture surrounding the post-partum period are based mostly on tradition and folklore, which is a combination of indigenous characteristics, Spanish influences as well as Catholicism. One of the most notable beliefs is that of a period after childbirth called ‘la cuarentena’ which should last for about 40 days and be used by the mother to relax, recover, and refresh (Hernandez, 2022). This practice highlights the need to give birth mothers sufficient time for recovery from the physical and emotional trauma of childbirth with compassionate support provided by female relatives or a traditional midwife known as “comadrona”. Women undergoing la cuarentena are usually informed not to engage in vigorous activities but observe diet restrictions that promote healing and the generation of milk.
Moreover, Mexican American women practice several dietary practices after childbirth due to the cultural belief in food’s curative properties. For example, it is a custom to eat warm and nourishing foods such as ‘caldo de pollo’ (chicken soup) because they are thought to restore the body’s power and help produce milk. On the other hand, cold foods such as salads are shunned during this period since they interfere with body recovery. These dietary practices are a remarkable way of ensuring the essence of holistic care, which encompasses physical nourishment and incorporating cultural beliefs concerning health and healing (Smith et al., 2021).
Furthermore, myths concerning the post-partum period are rampant in Mexican American culture and influence mothers’ beliefs and behaviors during this crucial time. One of the most common myths is called “mal de ojo” or evil eye that implies envy or jealousness from others can harm a newborn (Delikonstantinidou, 2018). To prevent mal de ojo, mothers may practice rituals like tying a red ribbon or chili pepper around the baby’s wrist or neck which is believed can ward off evil energy. These rituals are protective, but they also act as cultural practices that show love and care for the newborn to preserve the interdependence of cultural beliefs and maternal instincts.
Practices for Mother and Baby
The culture-based beliefs and practices in Mexican Americans during the post-partum period involve initiatives that promote both their health as well as they are also aimed at producing good outcomes for a newborn child. A common procedure is “pecho a pecho,” meaning chest-to-chest or skin—to—skin contact between the mother and infant. This practice is aimed at the importance of bonding and nurturing the infant to initiate breastfeeding, which in turn can lead to successful breastfeeding (Safari et al., 2018). The skin-to-skin contact has been proven as a means of regulating the babies’ body temperature, heart, and respiratory rate in addition to facilitating the release of oxytocin known as “the love hormone” both among mothers and infants that would lead to maternal-infant attachment.
Mexican American women also employ various traditional post-partum treatments, including herbal teas and natural formulas that are believed to assist in the process of healing. The postpartum period is characterized by herbal teas that are consumed to address perceived characteristics such as digestion, lactation benefits, and general well-being. This includes chamomile self-fenugreek or cinnamon consumption among others. Moreover, rituals like “barrida,” where the body is ceremonially swept with aromatic herbs are an attempt at warding off evil and cleansing both mother and child from bad vibes resulting in feelings of purification. These practices demonstrate a comprehensive philosophy of post-partum care that takes into consideration the complexity of physical, emotional, and spiritual health for both mother and child.
Culturally Congruent Care
In the field of DNP, culturally competent care for Mexican-American women in postpartum is a matter of great importance to their well-being and satisfaction with delivery (Krishnaswami & Gonzalez, 2019). One of the critical strategies that I use is cultural humility, which acknowledges my possible differences concerning culture compared to a patient. Through active listening to the patient’s values, preferences, and experiences I plan on developing a trusting relationship with a safe environment where sharing thoughts about cultural practices related to post-partum care can be discussed.
It is necessary to ensure that cultural beliefs and practices are integrated into the care plan for effective, culturally competent, appropriate care. For instance, in the case of a Mexican American mother who prefers herbal remedies or dietary practices during the postpartum period, I collaborate with other members of an interdisciplinary team to find ways how these traditions can be incorporated into his client’s recovery plan. This may include consultation with a lactation consultant to support skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding initiation, as well as education on herbal teas or soups that are believed to aid healing and stimulate lactation. When I am respectful of the patient’s cultural beliefs and practices, I affirm her experiences and allow for active participation in care.
Education is an important aspect of ensuring culturally appropriate treatment for Mexican American women after delivery. As a DNP, my goal is to provide culturally sensitive health education products that connect evidence-based information with the patient’s cultural values and behaviors. This could also involve the provision of bilingual materials that endorse culturally appropriate post-partum practices such as “la cuarentena” or “barrida,” while simultaneously providing evidence-based information on recovery after delivery and infant care (Krishnaswami & Gonzalez, 2019). Through culturally respectful knowledge that empowers patients to make informed choices and become autonomous in navigating their post-partum period with confidence.
Conclusion
In conclusion, culturally congruent post-partum care is crucial for the health and wellness of Mexican American women. This can help providers, especially DNP professionals establish trust with the patient and better understand them through their cultural beliefs, and practices which are conduced to promote effective communication between provider and patients leading to improved outcomes of care. The basic strategies for providing culturally congruent care are the use of cultural humility in practice, active listening to patients’ needs and wants, as well as collaboration with interdisciplinary teams for integrating various cultural practices into developed treatment plans. Moreover, culturally sensitive education empowers patients to make critical health decisions regarding themselves and their newborns while respecting their culture. Finally, by adopting cultural diversity and personalizing care to the specific demands of Mexican American women, healthcare providers may encourage health equity; and increase patient satisfaction levels among the target population group.
References
Asadi, M., Noroozi, M., & Alavi, M. (2022). Identifying women’s needs to adjust to postpartum changes: a qualitative study in Iran. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-04459-8
Delikonstantinidou, A. (2018). Latino/a Reception of Greek Tragic Myth: Healing (and) Radical Politics. https://ikee.lib.auth.gr/record/298979/files/GRI-2018-22151.pdf
Hernandez, C. (2022). CSUSB ScholarWorks CSUSB ScholarWorks Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations Office of Graduate Studies LATINAS’ CULTURAL BELIEFS AFFECT ON THEIR POSTPARTUM LATINAS’ CULTURAL BELIEFS AFFECT ON THEIR POSTPARTUM MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL HEALTH. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2636&context=etd
Krishnaswami, J., & Gonzalez, M. del C. C. (2019). Reforming Women’s Health Care: A Call to Action for Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners to Save Lives of Mothers and Infants. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(5), 495–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619838461
Safari, K., Saeed, A. A., Hasan, S. S., & Moghaddam-Banaem, L. (2018). The Effect of Mother and Newborn Early skin-to-skin Contact on Initiation of breastfeeding, Newborn Temperature and Duration of Third Stage of Labor. International Breastfeeding Journal, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-018-0174-9
Smith, T. J., Tan, X., Arnold, C. D., Sitthideth, D., Kounnavong, S., & Hess, S. Y. (2021). Traditional prenatal and postpartum food restrictions among women in northern Lao PDR. Maternal & Child Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13273
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