The Feng Shui Approach to Birth Environment Design and Midwifery Care

Özet

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese philosophy dating back thousands of years that focuses on the energy interaction between humans and their environment. This approach aims to balance the life energy known as Chi through spatial arrangements and to support the individual's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In recent years, the re-evaluation of birth environments in line with woman-centered and holistic approaches has paved the way for the discussion of complementary models such as Feng Shui in the field of obstetric care. The purpose of this compilation is to explain the fundamental concepts of Feng Shui philosophy and to examine the psychological, emotional, and physical effects of applying this approach to the birth environment on the mother and newborn. In this context, the fundamental components of Feng Shui, such as Chi, Yin–Yang, Tao, the five elements, Bagua, and directions, have been addressed; the possible effects of colors, spatial arrangements, and symbolic elements in the birth environment have been evaluated in line with the literature. Birthing units designed according to Feng Shui principles have been found to minimize pregnant women's perception of stress, anxiety, and pain, shorten labor duration, reduce the need for medical intervention, and enhance mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding success. Supported by examples of implementation in Turkey, these findings show that environmental arrangements based on Feng Shui philosophy improve the birth experience and can be incorporated into modern midwifery care as a holistic, woman-centered model.