Traditional Birth Attendants: Insights from Life Histories

This paper discusses the background and the histonJ of a small sample of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in uMzimkhulu in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Through the use of life histories, the paper presents the rich background of the TBAs, describing their individual'calling' and thezr apprenticeship to become isangoma (traditional healers). The paper discusses how the women come to be identified as TBAs as well as the spiritual dimensions of being a TBA practitioner. The use of life histories as a methodologtj was vaiuable in the study as it gave the TBAs an opportuniltj to share thick descriptions of their lives, lived experiences, practices and rituals. Findings reveal that traditional medicine plays a 'silent role' in the health care system as many pregnant women in the African communi h) continue to seek traditional sources of health care as in the case of uMzimkhulu, where many of the pregnant women preferred to use medicines prepared by TBAs for their pregnancies.