ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2021
Postpartum women's psychological experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: a modified recurrent cross-sectional thematic analysis.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Women's views and experiences of breastfeeding during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- Navigating through motherhood in pregnancy and postpartum periods during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis.Journal of nursing management · 2022Pooled it
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and other psychological factors in pregnant women giving birth during the first wave of the pandemic.Reproductive health · 2022Trial
- Temporal trends in pregnancy outcomes during a health system shock.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Patient-centred postpartum care provision: virtual delivery, tiered escalation, and tensions between efficiency, preference, and clinical concern.BMC medicine · 2026Article
- Knights in shining armour and (M)others in life jackets: Women's experiences of advocating for care alone when suffering recurrent early pregnancy loss during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.BMC public health · 2025Article
- A consensus statement on child and family health during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for post-pandemic recovery and re-build.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2025Article
- Mothers' perception of husband support during breastfeeding: A qualitative study in Indonesia.Narra J · 2024Article
- COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions and New Mothers' Mental Health: A Qualitative Scoping Review.Qualitative health research · 2024Article
- Mothers' and caregivers' experiences of COVID-19 restrictions during postpartum hospitalisation: a cross-sectional survey in France.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Preliminary findings on the experiences of care for women who suffered early pregnancy losses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Oscillating autonomy: a grounded theory study of women's experiences of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy, labour and birth, and the early postnatal period.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Exploring COVID-19 Phobia among International Chinese College Students in South Korea Before Ending COVID-19 Restrictions.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Pregnant and postpartum women's experiences of the indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in high-income countries: a qualitative evidence synthesis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Examining How Postpartum Videoconferencing Support Sessions Can Facilitate Connections between Parents: A Poststructural and Sociomaterial Analysis.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2024Article
- Exploring Breastfeeding Mothers' and Lactation Consultants' Experiences of Lactation Consultancy Throughout the Restrictions Put in Place Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.HRB open research · 2024Article
- Freedom for some, but not for Mum: the reproductive injustice associated with pandemic 'Freedom Day' for perinatal women in the United Kingdom.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.PloS one · 2024Article
- A consensus statement on perinatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendations for post-pandemic recovery and re-build.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Article
- "There's an Etiquette to Zoom That's Not Really Present In-Person": A Qualitative Study Showing How the Mute Button Shapes Virtual Postpartum Support for New Parents.Qualitative health research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCOVID-19 has placed additional stressors on mothers during an already vulnerable lifecourse transition. Initial social distancing restrictions (Timepoint 1; T1) and initial changes to those social distancing restrictions (Timepoint 2; T2) have disrupted postpartum access to practical and emotional support. This qualitative study explores the postpartum psychological experiences of UK women during different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated 'lockdowns'.
methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women, approximately 30 days after initial social distancing guidelines were imposed in the UK (22 April 2020). A separate 12 women were interviewed approximately 30 days after the initial easing of social distancing restrictions (10 June 2020). Data were transcribed verbatim, uploaded into NVivo for management and analysis, which followed a recurrent cross-sectional approach to thematic analysis.
resultsTwo main themes were identified for T1: 'Motherhood is Much Like Lockdown' and 'A Self-Contained Family Unit'. Each main T1 theme contained two sub-themes. Two main themes were also identified for T2: 'Incongruously Held Views of COVID-19' and 'Mothering Amidst the Pandemic'. Each main T2 theme contained three sub-themes. Comparisons between data gathered at each timepoint identified increased emotional distress over time. Current findings call for the improvement of postpartum care by improving accessibility to social support, and prioritising the re-opening of schools, and face-to-face healthcare appointments and visitation.
conclusionSocial distancing restrictions associated with COVID-19 have had a cumulative, negative effect on postpartum mental health. Recommendations such as: Allowing mothers to 'bubble' with a primary support provider even at their healthcare appointments; allowing one support partner to attend all necessary healthcare appointments; and providing tailored informational resources, may help to support postpartum emotional wellbeing during this, and similar health crises in the future.
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