Introduction:

Reconstructing histories contributes to consolidate solid identities. Therefore, interdisciplinary actions, from the historic perspective, allow linking the discipline of nursing to the traditional midwifery practices which were focused on the care of pregnant women during the times of ancient Mexico.

Objective:

To interpret the way of caring of prehispanic Nahuas midwifes in Mexico based on the chronicles of fray Bernardino de Sahagún.

Development:

The role of prehispanic Nahuas midwives is analyzed through the consultation of a facsimile of the fray Bernardino de Sahagún Florentine Codex or General History of the Things of New Spain, available at the Biblioteca Central de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), as the main source, along with other secondary sources from diverse researchers of the Nahuatl culture. Based on the hermeneutics of the historiography of the colonial period, the research is organized in two dimensions: the general and the particular. While the first addresses the overall aspects related to the geography, cosmogony, and worldview of the studied population, the second focuses on the related social, cultural, political, and phenomenological characteristics, including the symbols, divinities, and meanings around midwifery.

Conclusions:

The study of this midwifery unveils traditional practices which suggest the prevalence of multidimensional care that addresses women as reflections of the universe, the land, and the sacred origin, all in agreement with the epistemological postures of these cultures.