Nepal, June 27 -- Seti Maya Lama was 20 years old when she gave birth to her first child at her home in Thaprek, Tanahun. She recalls having just reached home from the fields when her water broke. In her village, people usually sought the help of traditional midwives-called sodinis-during childbirth, but during her first child's birth, her mother-in-law took the midwife's place instead.

"That was how I gave birth to all my children," says Lama, who went on to become a mother to 10 children and is now 86 years old.

According to Lama, back in those days, everyone used to give birth at home under the supervision of traditional midwives and no one really visited hospitals during pregnancy, for deliveries or postnatal care-they did what they...