Pregnancy gone wrong: Women's experiences of care in relation to coping with a medical complication in pregnancy

Abstract

A CorrespondingObjective: To understand the experiences of twelve New Zealand women with medical complications in pregnancy.Method: Inductive, semantic, qualitative analysis was employed to obtain an in-depth insight into the experience of having a medical complication during pregnancy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with twelve women. Six had been hospitalised during their pregnancy, while a further six were recruited from outpatient settings.Findings: Five themes were identified: pregnancy distressing and overshadowed by complications; unpredictability and the need for control; importance of the relationship with midwives; disempowerment in hospital; and lessons learnt on the importance of support. Key conclusions:Medical complications during pregnancy can be extremely stressful and women feel particularly vulnerable during this time. Midwives play a key role in supporting women through the process of coping with a pregnancy marked by illness and uncertainty. Implications for practice: Midwives can play a unique role in translating medical jargon and providing emotional guidance and support. A midwife who is engaged and responsive to a woman's needs has the ability to lower distress at this critical juncture in the development of a woman and her family.

Anxiety and depression in women hospitalized due to high-risk pregnancy: An integrative quantitative and qualitative study

“…Greater attention to the emotional experience of patients may lead medical professionals to recognize women who are at higher risk of early depressive and anxiety symptoms, so that they can activate emotional support to help them cope with hospitalization in a more functional way (Pei-Fan, 2004;Leichtentritt et al, 2005;Pozzo et al, 2010;McCoyd et al, 2020). Midwives could be mediators between doctors and patients to recognize women who show significant levels of anxiety and depression (Currie & Barber, 2016) and report these cases to a clinical psychologist. The presence of a psychologist in the gynecology and obstetrics ward would be an important resource, not only to support inpatient women in expressing their emotions, but also to help health professionals by functioning as communication facilitators with patients (Pozzo et al, 2010).…”

A systematic review regarding women’s emotional and psychological experiences of high-risk pregnancies

“…The literature reveal that women who are experiencing and have experienced high-risk pregnancies have a host of emotional issues including fear, guilt, shock, grief, frustration, worry, loneliness and isolation [11,12]. Currie and Barber [13] contend that when there is a health threat during the pregnancy, women are more likely to experience psychological distress. Similarly, Simmons and Goldberg [14] report that the label 'high-risk' pregnancy is associated with higher psychological distress.…”

“…Psychological disorders during pregnancy may result in low birth weight and preterm delivery, and women with bipolar disorder experience onset of mood instability [16,17]. When women are diagnosed with postpartum onset of major depression disorder they may have obsessions of child harm, and suicidal thought [13]. Therefore, not all pregnancies are simple, straightforward events.…”

Fulfillment of Informational Needs and Anxiety in High-Risk Pregnant Women Hospitalized for Preterm Birth

“…Management of pregnancy complications can involve activity restriction, bed rest and hospital stays extended sometimes until birth [2,3]. Antepartum hospitalization has been associated with a variety of physiologic, psychological and behavioral maternal and fetal adverse effects, and is often a negative experience for women [4,5]. A high-risk patient who is hospitalized antepartum may feel uncertain and tense about her pregnancy and the health of her fetus.…”