The role of the baba in the traditional practices of childbirth

Abstract

The main research project I am working on focuses on the contemporary childbirth practices and the figure of the doula – a woman who provides moral and emotional support, guidance, information, advice, and care to pregnant women before, during and after birth. The doula is not a midwife, nor is she a psychologist, although she could be both. My research aim is to position her role in modern maternity care and to discover if the practices she uses are a product of the contemporary culture or they are related to those already existing in the traditional society. According to that, first of all I will try to make a general bibliographic analysis of the figure of the baba in pre-modern society – her origin as a cultural agent, the ritual functions she performs, how she is perceived by her contemporaries and the requirements she has to accomplish imposed by the community. I will amplify the already existing scientific sources with my own research which includes interviews with elderly women from the villages near Asenovgrad.

References:

Apostolov, M., P. Ivanova 1995 Hristomatiya po istoriya na medicinata, Sofia, co Jusautor

Arnaudov, M. 1969 Ochertsi po balgarski folklore, t. 2, Sofia, Balgarski pisatel

Baeva, V. Nishkata na zhivota. Mezhdu kolancheto za rozhba i Bogorodichniya poyas, Sofia, Akad. izd. Prof. Marin Drinov

Baeva, V. Obrazat na babata v traditsionnata kultura: erotichni aspekti V: Erotichnoto v istoriyata, t. 3, Gabrovo: Etnografski muzei na otkrito Etar, 55-79

Vodenicharova, A. 1997 Babata – sotsialen status i ritualni funktsii (po materiali ot selata Brod, Golyamo Asenovo i Stransko, Haskovska oblast), V: Trakietsat i negoviyat svyat, Sofia, 264-272

Vodenicharova, A. 1999 Obichai i obredi, svarzani s bremennostta, razhdaneto i otglezhdaneto na dete V: Etnografski prouchvaniya na Balgariya. Loveshkiyat kray – materialna I duhovna kultura, Sofia, Akad. izd. Prof. Marin Drinov, 349-369

Genchev, St. 1985 Obichai i obredi, svarzani s bremennostta, razhdaneto i otglezhdaneto na dete V: Etnografiya na Balgariya, t. III, Sofia, izd. na BAN, 163-171

Dimova, An. i saav. 2019, Balgariya: Analizi na zdravnata sistema, MU – Varna

Kableshkova, R. 2003 Narodnata medicina. Etnolozhko prouchvane na Plovdivska oblast, Sofia, Multiprint

Kraev, G. 1985 Balgarski praznitsi i obichai. Babinden, Sofia, DI Septemvri

Manova. Ts. syst. Mincho Georgiev 2013, V: Balgarska narodna meditsina. Entsiklopediya, Sofia, Akad. izd. Prof. Marin Drinov

Marinov, D. 1914 Narodna vyara I religiozni narodni obichai, Sbornik za narodni umotvoreniya i narodopis, kniga XXVIII, Sofia, izd. d-vo Balkan

Markova, M. 2006 Babata i krastnikat: obredni hrani i trapezi V: Obrednata trapeza. Sbornik dokladi ot XI-ta Natsionalna konferentsiya na balgarskite etnografi – Plovdiv, 2005, Sofia, izd. Etnografski institut s muzey, 130-141

Tsaneva, E. 1994 Obichai pri bremennost, razhdane i otglezhdane na dete V: Rodopi. Traditsionna narodna duhovna i sotsionormativna kultura, Sofia, Etnografski institut kam BAN, 118-146