Maternity Care Experiences Among Birthing Women in Two European-Region Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.
Rada Artzi-Medvedik, Eleni Hadjigeorgiou, Ourania Kolokotroni and 5 others
PMID 41841158WHAT IT FOUND
Women described feeling stripped of decision-making during birth, with staff ignoring consent for procedures and restricting partners.
They reported insufficient breastfeeding support and lactation expertise, noting that early formula use and separation from infants hindered exclusive breastfeeding.
Key findings
01Women felt their right to self-determination was violated, describing situations where staff performed procedures like vaginal examinations or episiotomies without asking for consent or explaining what was happening.
02Lack of skilled lactation support and premature introduction of formula were major barriers to breastfeeding, with women reporting that staff told them they lacked milk or ignored requests for skin-to-skin contact.
03Restrictions on birth companions and visitor policies were widely disliked and perceived as isolating, though some Israeli women appreciated the quiet environment for recovery.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Self-selection bias is likely due to the online nature of the survey, potentially skewing towards women with higher educational attainment or stronger opinions. The study did not compare experiences between primiparous and multiparous women, so it is unclear if first-time mothers had different perceptions of care. Negative experiences may be overrepresented in free-text responses compared to positive ones. The anonymity of the survey prevented member checking, where participants could have verified the researchers' interpretation of their data.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the Ministry of Health in Rome, Italy, in collaboration with the Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS ‘Burlo Garofolo’, Trieste, Italy.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these findings apply to all maternity care settings globally. The experiences described are specific to the pandemic-era policies in Cyprus and Israel, and the high proportion of elective caesareans in the Cyprus sample may influence the reported lack of partner presence and decision-making autonomy.