The use of ayahuasca during childbirth by women can be seen as an act of resistance against colonial and patriarchal violence.
In Santo Daime, women have the right to drink ayahuasca throughout their pregnancy and during labor. It is a woman’s individual choice, and no one can force her to do so. As in the case of children, pregnant women consume smaller doses (which is often symbolic) than the rest of the group. Pregnant women can also participate normally in the rituals, but are not obligated to do so because they have the freedom to choose (Labate, 2011).
State and moral entrepreneurs, vocal in sensationalist media, have challenged this freedom over the decades despite the absence of scientific evidence that the consumption of ayahuasca harms pregnant women, fetuses and small children, and families in Daime communities is widely documented in the anthropological literature.
An historic event took place in 2010 when the Brazilian government agency responsible for national drug policy, CONAD, made the decision to guarantee pregnant women the autonomy and right to consume ayahuasca in their religious practices (CONAD, 2010).
This decision remains in effect in Brazil and is a landmark in the country’s drug policy and an example to the world. In the Brazilian context, it is understood that it is up to the woman to decide whether or not to ingest ayahuasca during her pregnancy, and the family has the power to decide on giving the drink to children.
In this case, therefore, the experiences of families over generations and the principle of religious freedom have taken precedence over social prejudice, infamous “war on drugs” policies, and the patriarchal surveillance of women’s bodies.
The use of ayahuasca by women during pregnancy and during childbirth can be seen as an act of resistance to colonial and patriarchal violence, as well as a maintenance of traditional care practices and possibilities to cultivate and share wisdom, knowledge, and experiences linked to the world of midwifery.
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