Pregnancy is a transformational journey towards parenthood. Bodily and mental changes are inevitable for the one who is pregnant, and many find this transformation to be challenging. This paper reimagines the emotional pregnancy within the context of a prenatal yoga setting. In doing so, it explores novel approaches to designing interactions in a supportive environment. We introduce an explorative study with three women at different stages in their pregnancy to suggest avenues for design research in support of emotional wellbeing during this time.

This paper introduces the design explorations of a multi-sensorial environment focused on emotional pregnancy. We define emotional pregnancy as the psychological and mental reactions to the transitional experiences towards motherhood/becoming a parent. We draw from insights into pregnant women's experiences and expert knowledge shared by midwives and doula to develop a sensorial experience and toolkit that combine affirmations, light, sound, movements and journaling. This is deployed within the context of a prenatal yoga setting with three women at different stages in their pregnancy. We offer insights into how a multi-sensorial approach to designing for the wholeness of pregnancy can support and empower women in their experiences of pregnancy, expand on societal understandings and foster the value of emotions during this time.