Culturally-Protective Health Practices: Everyday Pregnancy Care Among Mexican Immigrants

Everyday pregnancy care may play an important role in explaining why Mexican immigrant women have positive birth outcomes despite relatively low incomes, low formal education levels, and lack of access to medical care. The paper is based on findings from a qualitative study utilizing in-depth ethnographically-in-formed interviews with 41 Mexican immigrant women in Chicago who had recently given birth. Results indicate that everyday pregnancy care guides maternal behaviors in pregnancy and has important effects on birth weight. Implications for the design of prenatal health care and social services for immigrant women are discussed.