She was the doctor among the slave quarters; maintain the health of the other slaves on the plantation. Folklore, beliefs and rituals about pregnancy and childbirth, originating in Africa, were practiced and passed down from generation to generation. Many midwives, regardless of whether they lived in the southern United States, the West Indies, South America, or the Gullah Sea Islands, shared similar beliefs regarding the protection of pregnancy and childbirth. Common beliefs are documented and still practiced today among midwives regarding the Caul (the amniotic membrane enclosing a fetus) or "veil", umbilical cords, the burying or burning of the placenta, the alleviation of labor pain, and to which the pregnant woman is exposed. during pregnancy which could bring you bad luck