Table 2:
Frequency of traditional medicines used during pregnancy and at childbirth (*Other herbal medicines: Gymnosporia senegalensis (n=2), Ipomoea batatas (n=20), Dichrostachys cinerea (n=1), Aloe vera (n=1), lemons (n=1), Bidens pilosa (n=1), Cussonia arborea (n=1), Lannea discolour (n=1), Erythrina abyssinica (n=1); **Other traditional medicines: Soil from an anthill (n=3), soil from a rabbit hole (n=3), eggs (n=2), cow dung (n=1), rabbit dung (n=1), vaseline (n=1).
| Name of medicine | Common name | Period of use | Frequency (N, %) |
Dosage and dosage frequency |
Cost (US$) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil from a mole hill | Ivhu renhuta | From 3rd trimester to facilitate birth | 79 (28.4%) | One fistful in 500 ml of water, drink when thirsty | Free | Homestead/field |
| Elephant dung | Ndove yenzou | From 3rd trimester to facilitate birth and to prevent tears | 59 (21.2%) | One small piece in a cup, drink twice daily | 0.5–1 | Mbare market |
| Holy water (from apostolic faith sect) | Mvura yemuteuro | From 1st trimester to protect the child, to ensure a safe delivery | 52 (18.7%) | Drink one cup three times daily OR put a cup in bathing water and bath twice daily for 3 days each month | Free | Apostolic sect church |
| Fadogia ancylantha | Makoni tea | From 2nd trimester to facilitate childbirth | 37 (13.3%) | One teaspoon in a cup of boiling water, drink once daily | Free | Forest |
| Cooking oil | - | From 2nd trimester to relax the muscles | 33 (11.9%) | One tablespoon, once daily | 1.5 | Store |
| Laundry soap (green or blue) | - | From 2nd trimester to widen the birth canal | 17 (6.1%) | Lather using hands and insert the hand into the vagina once daily | 1 | Store |
| Abelmoschus esculentus | Derere | From 3rd trimester to widen the birth canal | 10 (3.6%) | Soak overnight, lather hand with water and insert into the vagina twice daily | Free/0.50 | Garden/market |
| Pinus roxburghii | Mukirisimasi tree | From 3rd trimester to facilitate childbirth | 9 (3.2%) | Dried bark is added to porridge in the morning | Free | Forest |
|
Dicerocaryum zanguebarium |
Ruredzo | From 2nd trimester to widen the birth canal | 8 (2.9%) | Soak overnight, lather hands and insert the hand into the vagina once daily | Free | Forest |
| Muddy nest of a Mud dauber | Chimba chezingizi | At delivery to speed up labour |
8 (2.9%) | Soak in a cup, drink when labour starts | Free | Homestead |
| Pouzolzia mixta | Munhanzva | From 3rd trimester to facilitate childbirth | 5 (1.8%) | Drink one tablespoon in a cup of water daily | Free | Forest |
| Ricinus communis L. | Mupfuta | At delivery to prevent tears | 5 (1.8%) | Seeds are crushed 2 tablespoons of extracted oil is drank | Free | Forest |
| *Other herbal medicines | - | During pregnancy | 13 (4.7%) | Use varies | Free | Forest/homestead |
| **Other traditional medicines | - | During pregnancy | 14 (5%) | Use varies | Free | Forest/homestead |