Objective: To learn about myths and taboos related with motherhood and their implications in the health/disease process. Method: Study carried out using a qualitative approach, in a natural setting, with women of poor classes who experienced motherhood. The selection of subjects was performed intentionally, and data collection was made by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation at the moment those women were given healthcare attention. Data analysis followed the content analysis. Results: The topic under study permeates, as an ideology, the women´s lives. The myths and taboos are related to health/disease: postpartum hygiene; protection of the newborn´s integrity; menses; alternatives for a solution of health problems; and gender issues, the conducts the women follow to avoid becoming "saucy" being evidenced. In the research, it was possible to capture elements that translate the cultural values of the women´s daily lives and the need for associating scientific knowledge with popular practices.
Culture; Health-disease process; Public health