The experience of pregnancy for vulnerable women.

Section A is a literature review focused on critically evaluating theory and research relating to three variables commonly experienced by vulnerable pregnant women. These pose a ‘risk’ to unborn babies and include: social exclusion, stress and poor attachment (NICE, 2010). Selected interventions for reducing the known ‘risks’ are critically evaluated, as well as qualitative studies into the experiences of pregnancy for vulnerable women. Gaps in existing theory and research are discussed, leading to suggestions for future research, including further qualitative study of vulnerable women’s experiences of pregnancy.
Section B presents a study into eight vulnerable women’s experiences of pregnancy and the Mellow Bumps antenatal intervention. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to make sense of participants’ experiences. The analysis revealed pregnancy was a time of reflection, when participants felt their bodies were being taken over, they felt more emotional than usual, relationships were important, and new identities developed. Pregnancy was a “normalising” experience, which provided an opportunity to build positive representations of the self. Mellow Bumps supported this. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.