Background: The high rate of maternal mortality reported in The Ethiopia is due to complications of pregnancy and delivery. In Ethiopia, the maternal mortality ratio had been 353/100,000 live births in 2015. The socio-cultural contexts under which these pregnancies and deliveries occur are the factors that pave the way for these complications and mortality. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine, and describe the sociocultural determinants of maternal health care in Ethiopia. Methods: This study was based on a qualitative, exploratory research design and used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews as its primary data collection techniques. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted in three districts (Haramaya, Grawa and Meta) in the Ethiopia. The study population consisted of 24 focus group discussants and 152 respondents homogeneous group. The data resulting from the discussion was transcribed verbatim and investigated using a qualitative thematic analysis based on ATLAS.ti.8.2. Results: The result of this study showed that relatives support, preferences, planned use of MHS, knowledge, family living arrangements, women’s expectation, pervious history, privacy and confidentiality and parity were community and social level factors affect maternal health care services. Gender of health care providers, behavior of health care providers, ethnicity, and autonomy of household, gender and cultural and traditional beliefs were interpersonal and family level factors affecting maternal healthcare services. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that despite women’s multiple roles in the household, their positions are quite unfavorable. The high maternal morbidity and mortality rate is related to socio-cultural factors in the communities. More emphasis should be placed on devising ways that can educate the women and discourage them from resorting to the traditional socio-cultural practices to reduce the high maternal mortality rates.