Resilience, pregnancy, and childbirth in a migratory context: A qualitative study on Brazilian women in Portugal

Abstract

Based on the theoretical model of resilience devised by Guajardo (2011), this study aims to understand the adverse contexts and resilient responses of Brazilian women during the pregnancy-puerperium period when living in Portugal. Analyzing the interviews allowed us to understand the participants’ resilient movements. These movements were related to two categories: Self-interaction and Social skills. It was possible to verify a process of negotiating with themselves, with people closest to them, and/or with strangers. Thus developing alternatives and possibilities of overcoming the several challenges presented by a process of pregnancy and puerperium in another country. The construction and maintenance of bonds in the form of a support network were referenced by the women as an aspect that enabled self-efficiency, autonomy, and, consequently, resilient responses. Therefore, it was observed that these Brazilian women living in Portugal access resources to overcome the pregnancy-puerperium moment experienced within a migratory context.