‘At the heart of the community’ – a Somali woman’s experience of ‘alignment’ of support to escape social isolation in pregnancy and early motherhood

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ABSTRACT Purpose Stresses in pregnancy and early motherhood can affect women’s health and wellbeing, and babies’ development. Migrant women face compounding stressors from the intersection of gender, race, social class, migration, and language. We explored one Somali woman’s experience of pregnancy and the transition to motherhood, following migration to an urban environment in the Global North, aiming to understand resilience in this specific socio-cultural context. Methods This case study used interpretative phenomenological analysis of a single two-hour semi-structured interview with a Somali woman in the UK to explore how this experience may have relevance for communities and practitioners in the Global North. Results We identified two overarching themes in this woman’s experience: “vicious” and “virtuous” circles, attempting to make sense of her experience of isolation and lack of wellbeing, and subsequent confidence, engagement, and community-building. Conclusions An experience of “alignment” in social relationships appeared to make possible the shift from “vicious” to “virtuous” circle, which enabled escape from social isolation. This account of transformation—from social isolation to community contribution—underlines the role of community organizations facilitating positive social networks and peer support during pregnancy and early motherhood.