Experience of Institutionalized Childbirth for Wayuu Women: An Ethnographic Study

INTRODUCTION: For Indigenous peoples, institutionalized childbirth may create tension between ancestral practices and biomedical maternity care. This study aimed to describe the meaning of the childbirth experience among Wayuu women. METHODS: A qualitative ethnographic study was conducted in La Guajira, Colombia, from 2022 to 2023. Purposive sampling, supplemented by snowball recruitment, included 19 Wayuu women and three general informants. Data were generated through 16 individual interviews, one focus group with six Wayuu women, observation-participation-reflection, and field notes, and analyzed using Leininger's four-phase ethnonursing method. RESULTS: The overarching pattern was "seeking harmony between culture and humanization." Nine patterns converged around preserving cultural identity, navigating fear and territorial barriers, and seeking respectful communication, family support, and participation in decisions during institutionalized childbirth. DISCUSSION: For Wayuu women, institutionalized childbirth sustains cultural continuity while seeking clinical safety; culturally congruent nursing requires respectful communication, family support, and shared decision-making that recognizes ancestral practices.