“This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth
Abstract Background Childbearing is one of the most emotional and transformative events in a woman’s life. This study aims to explore the impact COVID-19 had on childbirth, postpartum, and the first year since giving birth. Methods This was a qualitative study using data previously collected for a l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05872-3 |
| _version_ | 1797451139464036352 |
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| author | Lisette Saleh Sharon Canclini Cheryl Mathison Shanna Combs Beth Dickerson |
| author_facet | Lisette Saleh Sharon Canclini Cheryl Mathison Shanna Combs Beth Dickerson |
| author_sort | Lisette Saleh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Childbearing is one of the most emotional and transformative events in a woman’s life. This study aims to explore the impact COVID-19 had on childbirth, postpartum, and the first year since giving birth. Methods This was a qualitative study using data previously collected for a larger study of women who had given birth during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The findings presented here are from an analysis of a subset of open-ended questions. Sixty-six participants completed questions about how COVID-19 affected childbearing and postpartum experiences. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Thematic analysis of the data identified five major themes and several subthemes, including: (1) amplification of new mother typical emotions (positive emotions and negative emotions), (2) financial impact on mothers and their families, (3) persistent impact of COVID-19, (4) new mom paradigm crash (first time mothers and experienced mothers faced different issues such as lack of education and support, adding a layer to the day-to-day, and negotiating time with others) and (5) validating the importance of maternal health. On the whole, participants were overwhelmed, isolated, and did not have enough physical and emotional support. There was a lack of supportive maternal healthcare both in the short-term and long-term, with an emphasis on poor postpartum support. Conclusions This study supports previous findings that women who gave birth and entered motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic were impacted in many ways. These findings contribute to the understanding of women’s experiences not just in the immediate postpartum period, but in their daily lives one year after childbirth. The results highlight that our nation’s traditional maternal healthcare model may be insufficient, especially when facing a national crisis. Strain placed on the healthcare system by COVID-19 impacted both the physical and mental health of mothers who were often left with inadequate care, education, and support. Our findings point to the need for more supportive maternal health both during childbirth and postpartum. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-96092e4c3675428dae11ef7e125c26b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-96092e4c3675428dae11ef7e125c26b42023-11-26T14:30:33ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932023-08-0123111110.1186/s12884-023-05872-3“This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birthLisette Saleh0Sharon Canclini1Cheryl Mathison2Shanna Combs3Beth Dickerson4Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian UniversityTexas Christian UniversityAnne Marion Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Health ResourcesAbstract Background Childbearing is one of the most emotional and transformative events in a woman’s life. This study aims to explore the impact COVID-19 had on childbirth, postpartum, and the first year since giving birth. Methods This was a qualitative study using data previously collected for a larger study of women who had given birth during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The findings presented here are from an analysis of a subset of open-ended questions. Sixty-six participants completed questions about how COVID-19 affected childbearing and postpartum experiences. Data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Thematic analysis of the data identified five major themes and several subthemes, including: (1) amplification of new mother typical emotions (positive emotions and negative emotions), (2) financial impact on mothers and their families, (3) persistent impact of COVID-19, (4) new mom paradigm crash (first time mothers and experienced mothers faced different issues such as lack of education and support, adding a layer to the day-to-day, and negotiating time with others) and (5) validating the importance of maternal health. On the whole, participants were overwhelmed, isolated, and did not have enough physical and emotional support. There was a lack of supportive maternal healthcare both in the short-term and long-term, with an emphasis on poor postpartum support. Conclusions This study supports previous findings that women who gave birth and entered motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic were impacted in many ways. These findings contribute to the understanding of women’s experiences not just in the immediate postpartum period, but in their daily lives one year after childbirth. The results highlight that our nation’s traditional maternal healthcare model may be insufficient, especially when facing a national crisis. Strain placed on the healthcare system by COVID-19 impacted both the physical and mental health of mothers who were often left with inadequate care, education, and support. Our findings point to the need for more supportive maternal health both during childbirth and postpartum.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05872-3COVID-19BirthParentingMotherhoodPostpartumMental health |
| spellingShingle | Lisette Saleh Sharon Canclini Cheryl Mathison Shanna Combs Beth Dickerson “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth COVID-19 Birth Parenting Motherhood Postpartum Mental health |
| title | “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| title_full | “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| title_fullStr | “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| title_full_unstemmed | “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| title_short | “This is not what I imagined motherhood would look like”: pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting during COVID-19 – a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| title_sort | this is not what i imagined motherhood would look like pregnancy postpartum and parenting during covid 19 a qualitative analysis of the first year since birth |
| topic | COVID-19 Birth Parenting Motherhood Postpartum Mental health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05872-3 |
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