Mixed-Methods Study of the Experience of Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Jenna A LoGiudice, Susan Bartos
PMID 35970236WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women’s coping scores were medium on average, and their written accounts described grief over lost pregnancy rituals and fear of infection or birth alone, alongside hope focused on welcoming their newborn.
Key findings
01The average resilient coping score was 14.7, and 50.3% of participants were medium resilient copers.
02Participants described feeling robbed of expected pregnancy experiences, including cancelled baby showers and missing the fetal heartbeat during virtual visits.
03They also described choosing hope by focusing on welcoming their newborn and making creative plans.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were recruited through social media snowball sampling, so the sample was self-selected and may not represent pregnant women without those networks. The sample was mostly White (90.2%) and mostly married (89.7%), so the results largely reflect those experiences. The coping score scale did not hold together well in this sample (0.64). Data were collected between April 16 and May 1, 2020, when pandemic information and maternity care policies were changing quickly. The study did not test an intervention or follow women after birth, so it cannot show what care changes outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest or relevant financial relationships. No funding was reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that maternity care policies were appropriate because many women were medium resilient copers. The women still reported grief, fear, and practical losses, and the sample was self-selected, mostly White, and mostly married.