ArticleMidwifery2022
The experience of fathers during the covid-19 UK maternity care restrictions.
Article in Midwifery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Forced migrant fathers' experiences of pregnancy and childbirth: a hermeneutic phenomenological study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Fathers' experiences during their partners' childbirth and postpartum period: health vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2026Article
- Mental Health, Declining Physical Activity and Social Connection during Transitions into Fatherhood in the UK.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Set aside-A qualitative study of partners' experiences of pregnancy, labour, and postnatal care in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic.PloS one · 2024Article
- Healthcare providers' experiences of maternity care service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom: a follow-up systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Review
- Becoming first time father of premature newborn during the first wave of the pandemic: a case study approach.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Paternal Leave Entitlement and Workplace Culture: A Key Challenge to Paternal Mental Health.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Review
- Pregnancy Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Germany: A Public Health Lens.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Review
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveDuring the COVID-19 pandemic fathers in the UK were excluded from many aspects of maternity care to reduce escalating transmission rates. This study explores the experiences of fathers who had a baby during the pandemic to understand what effect these maternity restrictions had on them and their relationship to the baby.
designA qualitative interview study of the experiences of fathers whose baby was born during the pandemic-related UK maternity restrictions. PARTICIPANTS AND
settingNon-probability voluntary response sampling of 20 fathers: including 13 primiparous fathers and 7 multiparous fathers. Eligibility criteria were that fathers lived in the UK and had a baby born on or after the 23
findingsFour themes, including ten sub-themes, were identified that described fathers' experiences of the maternity restrictions and the father-baby relationship. The themes were: (1) The impact on paternal experience: this theme describes a collective negative paternal maternity experience as a result of the restrictions. Notably, father exclusion produced feelings of isolation and a sense of loss, along with a disconnection from the pregnancy. (2) The impact on the father-baby relationship: this theme discusses the adverse consequence of the restrictions on initial father-baby bonding. (3) Observed impact on mothers: the observed detrimental impact that excluding fathers had on maternal mental health and well-being. Finally, (4) Fatherhood in the 'new normal': the change of daily living during the pandemic aided profound family relationship building, improving long-term father-baby bonding, compared to pre-pandemic conditions. KEY
conclusionsThe findings provide evidence of undesirable consequences the pandemic-related UK maternity restrictions had on birth partners. With restrictions to maternity care implemented across the globe, these concerns may be applicable at an international scale. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study adds to other contemporary literature on this subject and can inform discussion among maternity services of the importance of including fathers for improved parental well-being and initial infant bonding.
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