Applying Salutogenesis in Midwifery Practice

Abstract

This chapter presents midwifery as unique amongst the healthcare professions because it mostly focuses on physiological processes and a period of transition in the life of a woman and her family. Thus, midwives work across a childbearing continuum and the health-ease dis-ease continuum. The “midwifery model of care” and its approach to childbearing focuses on wellness rather than illness and works closely with women to help them mobilize their own resources to move towards greater health. But the contrasting pathogenic approach to maternity care is still ubiquitous in contemporary healthcare provision with over-medicalization of childbirth and overuse of interventions, which can also cause more harm than good. While there is resonance between midwifery practice and salutogenesis, research examining the relationship is still in its infancy. Few researchers explicitly draw on salutogenic theory. Of these, few studies and scoping reviews are described in more detail. They suggest that there is an alignment between salutogenesis and midwifery practice. The chapter concludes by stressing that salutogenesis, with its focus on health rather than pathology, offers a promising way forward to underline that much of midwifery work is health promotion and must be operationalized accordingly in midwifery practice.