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Well-Being and Early Motherhood
Book chapter

Well-Being and Early Motherhood

Franziska Wadephul, Nicola Hanefield, Lesley Glover and Julie Jomeen
Perspectives on Midwifery and Parenthood, pp.39-50
Springer International Publishing
01/2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17285-4_4

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Abstract

Alexander Technique Perinatal Postnatal Self-care Well-being
Well-being is clearly of significance for women in the postnatal period; however, in the past, it has mainly been seen as an absence of pathology rather than a concept in its own right. This chapter presents the case for a holistic approach to women’s well-being in the postnatal period. We describe the perinatal well-being framework which was developed in three stages based on both published literature and findings from a survey of women and healthcare professionals. We suggest that well-being is influenced by a variety of domains and that it is subjective and individual and is experienced physically, emotionally and psychologically, as well as is dynamic and fluctuating over time. An overarching element of postnatal well-being is the often-overwhelming nature of motherhood: the responsibility for the baby, the competing demands on mothers’ time, the lack of time for oneself and profound changes to women’s sense of identity and purpose. Self-care was a core element of women’s efforts to experience or foster a sense of well-being. We describe one potential approach to effectively promote women’s ability to engage in self-care and enhance well-being. We consider HCPs’ attitudes and the context they work in as part of supporting well-being. We suggest that training and culture in healthcare tend to characterise the perinatal period as risky, with a focus on seeking to reduce risk and to avoid harm rather than actively promoting well-being. We conclude that a move towards a well-being-focused approach will need a major paradigm shift in both training and services.

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