Mithorginafa

In Samegrelo, when a childless family decided to adopt a child, the process involved intricate cultural rituals. The childless woman and the selected birth mother would be introduced through preliminary negotiations and reservations. Once the selected woman became pregnant, the childless woman would simulate pregnancy by placing a pillow on her stomach and engaging in behaviors typical of a pregnant woman.

​

Two to three weeks before the due date, both women would start living together. During childbirth, the childless woman would also lie in bed, mimicking the laboring process by moaning and suffering as if she were the one giving birth. This simulation was meticulously detailed to mirror the entire childbirth experience.

​

After the birth, the midwife would place the still-crying newborn in the bed of the childless woman, who had enacted the false birth. The midwife would then care for and clean the newborn. This process culminated in the ritual known as "Mithorginafa" or "Mithodguma."

​

Through "Mithorginafa," the unwashed newborn was symbolically considered the true child of the childless woman. This staged ritual of biological motherhood emphasized the connection between the mother and child, fostering a simulated experience of the entire process of childbirth and early motherhood.