Women's experiences of maternity service reconfiguration during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative investigation.
Sergio A Silverio, Kaat De Backer, Abigail Easter and 3 others
PMID 34399382WHAT IT FOUND
Women described pandemic maternity changes as losing face-to-face antenatal and postnatal care, especially newborn checks and breastfeeding support.
They felt phone or video care was often inadequate and wanted clearer communication and birth partners present.
Key findings
01Women described antenatal appointments being cancelled or moved to telephone calls, leaving them anxious that face-to-face checks on pregnancy growth and wellbeing were missed.
02Postnatal telephone or video contact was often experienced as inadequate for newborn checks and breastfeeding support, and some women reported no health visitor follow-up.
03Birth partner restrictions and changing labour rules caused distress, and some non-birthing parents missed the birth.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and limited in ethnic, relationship, and socio-economic diversity despite recruitment efforts. All participants were from South London, a region heavily affected by COVID-19, so findings may not transfer to other settings. Women had started antenatal care before the pandemic, so their expectations may differ from women who booked during the pandemic. Few women with hypertension or diabetes were included, so experiences of increased home monitoring were not captured. The study used rapid, non-verbatim transcription and hand coding, which may have reduced detail.
Declared interests
Funded by a King's College London rapid COVID-19 research call and supported by NIHR awards. The funder had no role in recruitment, data collection, analysis, or write-up. Authors declared no competing financial interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these experiences as proof that virtual maternity care is unsafe or that face-to-face care improves outcomes. The study reports perceptions from a small group of women, not clinical safety or effectiveness.