Salutogenesis in Pregnancy
I am a HUGE fan of salutogenesis. No idea what it is? You’re not alone and in fact you may already incorporate it into your life! It’s applicable to all areas of life, at any point in your life and it is never to late to focus on it.
The term was coined by Aaron Antonovsky, a sociologist who studied the relatinship between health, stress and wellbeing. This paper covers it in more detail but essentially, salutogenesis is the focus on factors that are responsible or enhance our health and wellbeing, instead of pathologising anything outside the realm of ‘normal’. It’s about adding habits, foods and rituals that improve our lives so that we flourish and are able to handle the stresses of life. We don’t just survive, we thrive.
As a doula I offer a salutogeneic model of care, where I can offer knowledge and advice on what is known to foster wellbeing in pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
The basics of a salutogenic approach are security, nourishing food, plenty of water, good quality sleep, fresh air and exercise, a safe and pleasant environment, access to education/information, and good medical support if and when needed. When you can tick all of those boxes morbidity and mortality in all areas of health, including maternity, are very much reduced.
As well as these physical and more external resources, there are also internal qualities within ourselves that we can develop and draw on to support and increase our well-being. These are the ones that are so, so important to develop during pregnancy (but are applicable way beyond this period)… They include self-determination, self-efficacy, and resilience. Our sense of belonging and nourishing relationships is also incredibly important (this straddles the internal/external).
If this approach isn’t something you’ve given much thought to before, pregnancy is a great time to review and reset. A lot of the focus can be on your physical health and how that impacts your baby, however some of the most important prep to be done during pregnancy is internal. Your mental health and emotional well-being inextricably linked to your physical health (and that of your baby). A salutogenic approach during pregnancy can set you up so that you flourish as family with a new addition!
Let’s talk more about how my support and salutogenic approach could work for you.