Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe Burmese migrant women’s perceptions of health and well-being during pregnancy, their health promoting practices and their experiences with the Thai antenatal services. Design/methodology/approach: The study used an ethnographic design. Observations were conducted in two antenatal clinics in southern Thailand. Ten Burmese migrant women and three Burmese interpreters participated in interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The Burmese women wanted to take care of themselves and their baby to the best of their ability. This included following traditional practices and attending the antenatal clinic if able. Negotiating the demands of earning an income, and protecting their unborn baby, sometimes led to unhealthy practices such as consuming energy drinks and herbal tonics to improve performance. Accessing antenatal care was a positive health seeking behaviour noted in this community, however, it was not available to all. Research limitations/implications: This is a small ethnographic study conducted in one Province in Thailand and all Burmese participants were legal migrants. Further research is required to understand the needs of pregnant women not able to access maternity services because of their status as an illegal migrant. Practical implications: Community-based health promotion initiatives need to focus on the nutrition of pregnant women who are migrants living in southern Thailand. New models of care may increase migrant women’s use of antenatal services. Originality/value: Most studies of the health of migrant women are conducted in high-income countries. This study demonstrates the difficulties experienced by women migrating from a low to middle-income country. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Health practices Myanmar/Burma Maternal care migrant women Antenatal care Ethnography

perception maternal care prenatal care health promotion Thailand interpersonal communication human wellbeing Burmese middle income country qualitative research high income country interview migrant female Infant ethnography pregnancy clinical article Article thematic analysis adult human experiment pregnant woman energy drink