What is a holistic approach?
A holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth has the following characteristics:
* pregnant woman sitting near lakeConsiders all aspects of an individual, including the body, mind, and spirit. When we think of health, we most often consider the body and how exercise, nutrition, and other care impact the physical person. But the mind and emotions also play a role, shaping our values and beliefs, our responses to events such as stress, and our relationships and support networks. Finally there is the spiritual component, which is often the hardest to describe. We all have a spiritual aspect, even if we don’t have a specific religious tradition, but we may not be sure how to recognize and develop it. If considering spirituality is new to you, start by considering times, places, or things that make you feel peaceful.
A holistic pregnancy and childbirth recognizes the impact of the mind and spirit, as well as the physical body, on the experience of pregnancy and birth. Physical health, values and beliefs, relationships, emotional well-being, and spirituality all affect pregnancy and birth. In turn, the experiences of pregnancy and birth influence body, mind, and spirit.
* Trusts the natural progression: A holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth also recognizes that a woman’s body is naturally designed to conceive, nourish, and give birth to a baby. It trusts the natural progression of pregnancy and labor.
* Distinguished from "natural childbirth." Natural childbirth is a term that holds many different meanings to women and healthcare providers. To some, it means a complete avoidance of medication or interventions. To others, it simply means that a woman gave birth vaginally as opposed to having a cesarean section.
Reiki treatment in office settingA holistic approach to childbearing includes both low-intervention approaches and the appropriate use of technology in a thoughtful and well-considered manner. Each situation is unique, requiring individual choices and care. A holistic approach respects the normal processes of pregnancy and birth, but recognizes the need for assistance if appropriate.
* Incorporates complementary therapies: Finally, as obstetrician Joel Evans notes, a holistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth includes the “use of alternative and complementary therapies to prevent or treat common discomforts and complications of pregnancy, in a way that is consistent with the belief system of the patient.”
What does all this mean to me?
A holistic approach incorporates all of who you are and all you know about pregnancy and childbirth. You and your support team recognize your innate capabilities and seek to enhance them. You deliberately make choices that maximize your potential to have the healthiest pregnancy and the most natural progression of labor possible.
collage of family, pregnant woman, healthy fruits and veggies, woman meditatingThese choices cover all aspects of health that can affect your pregnancy and birth – not just physical factors like diet and exercise, but also social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual factors, such as your relationships, your support system, and how you manage stress.
We will discuss these decisions in more detail in the sections that follow. As you will see, they generally lead to the best outcomes for both you and your baby. Of course, expectant mothers always try to choose what they believe is best for their baby and themselves, but they sometimes have incomplete or misleading information.
It is our hope that the Holistic Pregnancy and Childbirth website will provide you with accurate, evidence-based information that will help you make the best choices for your pregnancy and birth.
Further Reading
Boston Women's Health Book Collective (2008). Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. Boston: Simon & Schuster.
Evans, J.M., Aronson, R. (2005). The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetrician's Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy. New York, NY. Gotham Books.
References
Evans, J.M. (2007). Why we need holism in pregnancy care: A review. Alternative Therapies, 13(3).
Gawain, S. (1997). The four levels of healing. Novato, CA: Nataraj Publishing.
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Odgovori s citatom
Sa drugom trudnoćom bi htjela sve ponoviti, ali povratak na posao + još milion drugih briga... i ja se nikako ne mogu odlučiti na drugu bebicu. Strah me stresa kojeg se nikako ne uspijevam riješiti u zadnje vrijeme. Ne bi htjela začeti dok sam u ovakvoj komi, a opet želja za drugom bebicom je sve veća i veća. Može preporuka knjige za "predtrudničko razdoblje" 
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