Birth plan alterations among American women in response to COVID‐19

Feeling the Void: Lack of Support for Isolation and Sleep Difficulties in Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic Revealed by Twitter Data Analysis

“…Our results also found that the possibility of giving birth alone in the hospital was distressing to pregnant women. Many hospitals were overcrowded during the spring peak of the pandemic, had limited supplies with which to treat patients, and had staff who were overworked [ 39 ]. Consequently, the pandemic caused hospitals to refuse patients who needed care that were not related to COVID-19, such as was the case for pregnant women [ 39 ].…”

Impact of COVID-19 on the Perinatal Period Through a Biopsychosocial Systemic Framework

“…Research demonstrates a significant association between social isolation (i.e., lack of interactions with others or the wider community) and loneliness (i.e., feelings of the absence of a social network or companion) with poorer mental health outcomes, such as depression (Leigh-Hunt et al 2017 ). Not only have there been disruptions in people’s ability to engage socially with important support systems, there have been changes to patient-provider relationships (Gildner and Thayer 2020 ). Namely, in the perinatal period there have been disruptions or discontinuation of reproductive treatments, reductions to face-to-face appointments, and increased use of telehealth.…”

“…Having a compassionate and trustworthy labor companion to provide continuous support during labor is known to make a significant difference in improving birth experiences and the health and well-being of birthing mothers and babies (Bohren et al 2019 ); thus, women should be allowed to have such a person present throughout their L&D stay (RCOG 2020 ). In a recent study of 1400 pregnant women (Gildner and Thayer 2020 ), 45.2% reported changing some aspect of their birth plan due to COVID-19 based on concerns of their own (53.9%), their partner (21.9%), family and friends (13.8), and comments from medical providers (60.8%). These statistics not only demonstrate concrete effects of the impact of COVID-19 on L&D, but also the relational factors that influence decision-making.…”

“…Thus, there must be changes to traditional “fourth trimester” treatment plans that generally include in-person support of others to assist with childcare activities and respite care. Research has already demonstrated parents’ altering their fourth trimester plan due to COVID-related concerns such as care disruptions due to shelter-in-place responses (e.g., relocating to be closer to family) and loved ones not being able to visit following birth (Gildner and Thayer 2020 ). Loneliness created by social distancing may build on other psychosocial stressors experienced by mothers and their families after birth.…”

Maternal and child health during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Contributions in the field of human biology

“…Analyses using early respondents (n = 1400) found that 45.2% of participants anticipated altering some aspect of their birth plan because of COVID‐19 (Gildner & Thayer, 2020). Commonly reported changes included shortened hospital stays, switching to an out‐of‐hospital delivery to avoid exposure to the virus in the hospital, and laboring with fewer support people (either due to hospital restrictions or the fact that their partner must now care for their other children instead of attending the delivery).…”