“God Has Commanded Me”: A Spiritual Code of a Traditional Birth Attendance (TBA)

Abstract Many studies have demonstrated the significant involvement of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) during pregnancy and delivery. In several countries, including Indonesia, the role of the TBA cannot be easily replaced by Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs), reducing the capacity of the health sector to reduce the maternal mortality rate. The TBA has a religious and social connection with the community in her area which is often undervalued by the medically-trained SBA; this disconnect interferes with the provision of quality care. In this paper, with the use of a narrative approach, a TBA reveals her reflection and perspective as rooted in the community where she lives. This ethnography provides living evidence that the point of view of modern health professionals often fails when faced with the world view of the community. TBAs have social power that cannot be separated from the social context where they live. Therefore, an analysis of the religious aspects of a TBA’s practice should enrich the effort to decrease the maternal mortality rate. The religiosity of a community is closely connected with the community’s perspective on health.