Uncertainties and contradictions experienced by women with COVID-19 during childbirth/birth and the postpartum period.
Maria Aparecida Baggio, Amanda Martins de Souza, Rosane Meire Munhak da Silva and 2 others
PMID 40105533WHAT IT FOUND
Women who gave birth with COVID-19 described fear, isolation, and separation from their babies.
Some found staff caring, but others reported being left alone, denied companions, ignored birth plans, and struggling with breastfeeding.
Key findings
01Women described childbirth during COVID-19 as unexpected, unpredictable and uncertain, and living or dying was uncertain for mother and child.
02Separation from the baby and postpartum difficulties made childcare and breastfeeding harder, especially after cesarean birth.
03Care experiences were inconsistent: some women described humane, supportive professionals, while others reported being left alone, without food or drink, or having birth plans ignored.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 15 women from one hospital were interviewed, so the findings cannot show how common these experiences were or apply to all settings. Women were selected by convenience from a list of 97 admitted with COVID-19, and many of those contacted did not participate. Interviews took place months after birth, so recall may affect the accounts. The study describes experiences only; it did not measure outcomes, compare care approaches, or test interventions. The paper reports women's accounts but not nurses' or other professionals' perspectives, and it does not identify which specific care actions caused which harms.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report authors' conflicts of interest or funding, although the publication type notes research support from a non-U.S. government source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that pandemic restrictions or specific nursing actions caused poor mental health or failed breastfeeding. It describes 15 women's experiences at one hospital and cannot separate the effects of infection, preterm birth, isolation, and care practices.