Frontiers in Public Health,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
12
Published: Aug. 7, 2024
Introduction
Healthcare
services
for
pregnant
and
postpartum
(‘perinatal’)
women
were
reconfigured
significantly
at
the
advent
duration
of
SARS-CoV-2
pandemic,
despite
United
Kingdom
announcing
‘Freedom
Day’
on
19
July
2021
(whereafter
all
legal
lockdown-related
restrictions
lifted),
to
maternity
(antenatal,
intrapartum,
postnatal)
remained.
This
study
presents
data
from
eight
perinatal
about
their
experiences
psychosocial
wellbeing
care
in
post-‘Freedom
epoch.
Methods
Semi-structured
interviews
conducted
virtually,
with
recorded,
transcribed,
analysed
by
hand.
Grounded
theory
analysis
was
employed
final
assessing
reproductive
injustice
pandemic
Day’.
Results
Analysing
iteratively
inductively
led
four
emergent
themes:
‘A
Failing
System,
Women’;
‘Harm
Caused
a
State
Difference’;
‘The
Privileges
(Not
Rights)
Reproductive
Autonomy,
Agency,
Advocacy’;
‘Worried
Women
Marginalised
Mothers’.
Together,
these
themes
form
some,
but
not
Mum’.
Discussion
experienced
lack
high-quality
reliable
information
vaccination
against
virus,
changes
to,
decision-making
surrounding,
care.
recognised
healthcare
professionals
stretched
that
failing
often
reported
hostility
staff
abandonment
times
when
they
unsure
how
navigate
The
most
singular
disparity
between
having
accept
continuing
freedom
whilst
receiving
(reckless)
being
enacted
general
public.
Women and Birth,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
37(3), P. 101588 - 101588
Published: March 1, 2024
Maternity
care
services
in
the
United
Kingdom
have
undergone
drastic
changes
due
to
pandemic-related
restrictions.
Prior
research
has
shown
maternity
during
pandemic
was
negatively
experienced
by
women
and
led
poor
physical
mental
health
outcomes
pregnancy.
A
synthesis
is
required
of
published
on
women's
experiences
latter
half
COVID-19
pandemic.
Midwifery,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
123, P. 103706 - 103706
Published: May 1, 2023
The
COVID-19
pandemic
resulted
in
global
physical
distancing
restrictions
and
lockdown
orders.
Despite
the
clear
documentation
of
increased
mental
distress
amongst
adult
populations
during
pandemic,
there
is
limited
evidence
about
health
challenges
people
perinatal
period
(pregnancy,
birth
postpartum).
aim
this
review
to
summarise
qualitative
research
women's
lived
experience
emotional
wellbeing
pandemic.
A
comprehensive
search
strategy
was
developed.
Twenty
peer-reviewed
articles
published
English
from
January
1,
2020,
December
15,
2021,
were
included.
Data
synthesis
outlined
common
themes
a
narrative
format.
Themes
pregnancy
included:
(1)
information
seeking:
anxiety
fear;
(2)
experiencing
isolation
disruptions
my
social
support;
(3)
‘Going
it
alone’
care;
(4)
anticipatory
grieving
despair;
(5)
finding
‘silver
linings’
restrictions.
One
key
theme
“birthing
crisis”.
postpartum
isolating
‘Early
motherhood
much
like
lockdown’;
breastfeeding:
triumphs
tribulations;
facing
'Affecting
us
for
years
come'
-
not
only
trauma;
care.
This
provides
important
insights
into
how
experiences
isolation,
decreased
support
adaptions
maternity
services
affect
health.
Maternity
should
consider
may
be
integrated
care
women
who
still
required
isolate
or
have
reduced
visitors
their
due
likely
impact
What
already
known
that
public
measures
prevalence
disorders
(CPMDs)
exacerbated
risk
factors
CPMDs
(i.e.,
poor
support).
paper
adds:
with
unique
these
events
impacted
In
particular,
ways
adaptations
contributed
feelings
distress,
depression/despair.
Silver
linings
such
as
more
uninterrupted
time
immediate
family
also
identified.
PLoS ONE,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
19(2), P. e0294744 - e0294744
Published: Feb. 23, 2024
Objectives
The
COVID-19
pandemic
has
caused
unforeseen
impacts
on
sexual
and
reproductive
healthcare
(SRH)
services
worldwide,
the
nature
prevalence
of
these
changes
have
not
been
extensively
synthesized.
We
sought
to
synthesise
reported
outcomes
impact
SRH
access
delivery
in
comparable
countries
with
universal
systems.
Methods
Following
PRISMA
guidelines,
we
searched
MEDLINE,
Embase,
PsycInfo,
CINAHL
from
January
1st,
2020
June
6th,
2023.
Original
research
was
eligible
for
inclusion
if
study
and/or
delivery.
Twenty-eight
OECD
economies
systems
were
included.
extracted
characteristics,
participant
design,
outcome
variables.
methodological
quality
each
article
assessed
using
Quality
Assessment
Diverse
Studies
(QuADS)
tool.
Preferred
Reporting
Items
Systematic
Reviews
Meta-analyses
(PRISMA)
guidelines
followed
reporting
results.
This
registered
PROSPERO
(#CRD42021245596).
Synthesis
Eighty-two
studies
met
criteria.
Findings
qualitatively
synthesised
into
domains
of:
antepartum
care,
intrapartum
postpartum
assisted
technologies,
abortion
access,
gynaecological
health
services,
HIV
care.
Research
concentrated
relatively
few
countries.
Access
negatively
impacted
by
a
variety
factors,
including
service
disruptions,
unclear
communication
regarding
policy
decisions,
decreased
timeliness
fear
exposure.
Across
outpatient
providers
favoured
models
care
that
avoided
in-person
appointments.
Hospitals
prioritized
reduced
time
number
people
hospital
aerosol-generating
environments.
Conclusions
Overall,
demonstrated
across
most
during
COVID-19.
Variations
restrictions
accommodations
heterogeneous
within
between
institutions.
Future
work
should
examine
long-term
COVID-19,
underserved
populations,
underrepresented
Midwifery,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
133, P. 103995 - 103995
Published: April 9, 2024
To
explore
antenatal
experiences
of
social
and
healthcare
professional
support
during
different
phases
distancing
restriction
implementation
in
the
UK.
Semi-structured
interviews
were
conducted
via
telephone
or
video-conferencing
software
between
13
July
2020
–
2
September
2020.
Interviews
transcribed
a
recurrent,
cross-sectional,
thematic
analysis
was
conducted.
Twelve
women
interviewed
UK
restrictions
March
(Timepoint
1;
T1)
separate
sample
twelve
initial
easing
these
May
2;
T2).
T1
themes
were:
'Maternity
care
as
non-essential'
'Pregnancy
is
cancelled'.
T2
'Technology
polarised
tool'
'Clinically
vulnerable,
not
clinically
vulnerable?
That
question'.
At
T1,
anxieties
ascribed
to
exclusion
partners
from
routine
care,
perceived
insensitivity
aggression
public.
For
T2,
insufficient
Governmental
transparency
led
disillusionment,
confusion,
anger.
Covert
workplace
discrimination
also
caused
distress
at
T2.
Across
timepoints:
deteriorated
mental
wellbeing
attributed
depleted
opportunities
interact
socially
scaled
back
maternity
care.
Recommendations
are
made
to:
protect
maternal
autonomy;
improve
quality
health
signposting;
prioritise
parental
community
re-opening
'non-essential'
services;
option
for
face-to-face
appointments
when
safe
legal;
protecting
rights
working
mothers.
Women and Birth,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
36(1), P. e106 - e117
Published: May 17, 2022
Maternity
care
underwent
substantial
reconfiguration
in
the
United
Kingdom
during
COVID-19
pandemic.
posed
an
unprecedented
public
health
crisis,
risking
population
and
causing
a
significant
system
shock.
To
explore
psycho-social
experiences
of
women
who
received
maternity
gave
birth
South
London
first
‘lockdown’.
We
recruited
(N
=
23)
to
semi-structured
interviews,
conducted
virtually.
Data
were
recorded,
transcribed,
analysed
by
hand.
A
Classical
Grounded
Theory
Analysis
was
followed
including
line-by-line
coding,
focused
development
super-categories
themes,
finally
generation
theory.
Iterative
inductive
analysis
generated
six
emergent
sorted
into
three
dyadic
pairs:
1
&
2:
Lack
relational
vs.
Good
practice
persisting
pandemic;
3
4:
Denying
embodied
experience
pregnancy
Trying
keep
everyone
safe;
5
6:
Removed
from
support
network
Importance
being
at
home
as
family.
Together,
these
themes
interact
form
theory:
‘Navigating
uncertainty
alone’.
Women’s
childbirth
journeys
pandemic
reported
having
positive
negative
which
would
counteract
one-another.
care,
denial
experiences,
removal
networks
counterbalanced
good
persisted,
understanding
staff
trying
safe,
renewed
importance
family
unit.
Pregnancy
can
be
uncertain
time
for
women.
This
compounded
navigate
their
journey
alone
Global Public Health,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
20(1)
Published: Feb. 11, 2025
Pandemics
disproportionately
affect
women
due
to
their
dominant
roles
in
healthcare,
caregiving,
and
industries
vulnerable
public
health
policies.
Women
face
higher
infection
risks,
greater
unpaid
care
burdens,
job
losses
during
crises.
Violence
against
disrupted
access
including
sexual
reproductive
services,
also
increase.
Despite
clear
evidence
of
these
effects,
global
pandemic
responses
have
historically
been
gender-blind,
with
only
limited
improvements
COVID-19.
This
study
uses
the
READ
approach
analyze
UN
COVID-19
policy
documents
published
2020,
examining
recommendations
related
socio-economic
security,
violence
girls
(VAWG),
people
living
across
borders.
From
we
analyzed
301
using
WHO's
Gender
Responsive
Scale
assess
transformative
potential.
The
results
show
that
while
addressed
key
gendered
impacts,
often
stopped
short
promoting
systemic
change,
reflecting
broader
limitations
responses.
findings
highlight
gap
between
acknowledging
gender
disparities
(let
alone
implementing)
policies
address
structural
inequalities.
research
contributes
ongoing
debates
on
role
institutions
advancing
gender-responsive
calls
for
more
meaningful
engagement
addressing
inequities
governance.
