ABSTRACT
Childbirth is a life-changing experience for new mothers and families transitioning from pregnant to parent that carries immense potential for psychological and physical transformation, empowerment, and trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted laboring mothers' access to support in hospitals through visitor limitations and facility protocols for healthcare professionals. A qualitative study using a multiple case study design and descriptive qualitative content analysis was used to describe childbirth support during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspectives of the laboring mother, labor companion, and obstetric hospital staff, including obstetricians, midwives, nurses, and doulas. By describing the perceptions of all participants involved in childbirth support during the pandemic, a deeper understanding of the phenomenon was gleaned. Four central categories were found: (1) Visitor Restrictions;(2) Health Safety;(3) Anxiety, Fear, and Uncertainty;and (4) Technology Reliance. Based on the findings, all participant groups experienced better births due to the visitor restrictions. All participant groups experienced a heightened awareness of health safety due to the increased prevalence of the COVID-19 virus in the hospital. For new mothers, feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty increased during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period during the pandemic. All participant groups had an increased reliance on technology during the pandemic, but the pursuits differed. The findings are discussed including an exploration of how the findings can be contributed to the current body of knowledge on childbirth support. The goal of this research was to describe childbirth support during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Childbirth is a life-changing experience for new mothers and families transitioning from pregnant to parent that carries immense potential for psychological and physical transformation, empowerment, and trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted laboring mothers' access to support in hospitals through visitor limitations and facility protocols for healthcare professionals. A qualitative study using a multiple case study design and descriptive qualitative content analysis was used to describe childbirth support during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspectives of the laboring mother, labor companion, and obstetric hospital staff, including obstetricians, midwives, nurses, and doulas. By describing the perceptions of all participants involved in childbirth support during the pandemic, a deeper understanding of the phenomenon was gleaned. Four central categories were found: (1) Visitor Restrictions;(2) Health Safety;(3) Anxiety, Fear, and Uncertainty;and (4) Technology Reliance. Based on the findings, all participant groups experienced better births due to the visitor restrictions. All participant groups experienced a heightened awareness of health safety due to the increased prevalence of the COVID-19 virus in the hospital. For new mothers, feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty increased during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period during the pandemic. All participant groups had an increased reliance on technology during the pandemic, but the pursuits differed. The findings are discussed including an exploration of how the findings can be contributed to the current body of knowledge on childbirth support. The goal of this research was to describe childbirth support during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)