Transitioning to parenthood during the pandemic: COVID-19 related stressors and first-time expectant mothers’ mental health.

Abstract

The transition to parenthood represents a major life event for expectant parents, influencing personal and relational well-being. Unfortunately, the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may undermine first-time expectant mothers' emotional health as elevated rates of depression, stress, and anxiety have been noted (Rajkumar, 2020). Thus, the current study was conducted to (a) describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-time expectant mothers' pregnancy, prenatal care, internal/ dyadic and external experiences, (b) investigate the impact of pregnancy-related, internal/ dyadic, and external COVID-19 changes on first-time mothers' mental health (i.e., depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms), and (c) explore whether COVID-related internal/dyadic stressors predicted worse mental health among expectant mothers, above and beyond their general marital satisfaction. Forty-nine first-time, expectant U.S. mothers (M age = 29.0 years, SD = 3.1) participated via Amazon MTurk between June and July 2020; each completed an online survey about their pandemic prenatal care, delivery plans, current mental health, and relationship. Most expectant mothers (82%) reported distress due to COVID-related prenatal care changes. Additionally, pandemic-related increases in alcohol use, intimate partner violence, and external demands (i.e., caring for someone infected with COVID-19), generally predicted worse mental health for first-time expectant mothers. The effects of increased alcohol use and intimate partner violence on maternal mental health remained, even after accounting for overall marital satisfaction. Conversely, having to isolate or quarantine due to exposure predicted reduced maternal stress. Results underscore the need to provide supports that promote the emotional health of first-time pregnant women and encourage healthy coping with the diverse pandemic-related experiences faced by expectant couples.

Parental experiences with changes in maternity care during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed-studies systematic review

“…Altered appointments also reduced birth satisfaction [49] and maternal perception of quality of care [37] . Moreover, approximately 70% of mothers who changed their birth plan due to COVID-19-related reasons reported experiencing some level of distress [64] .…”

A descriptive literature review of early research on COVID-19 and close relationships

“…Stress was also particularly salient for new mothers who were managing their pregnancies or recent births during COVID-19. In a small-scale study of first-time expectant mothers who were in a relationship with their child’s father, experiencing COVID-19-related stressors such as alcohol use and intimate partner violence (IPV) negatively impacted their pregnancy experiences ( McMillan et al, 2021 ). Namely, these stressors exacerbated negative effects on mental health, relationship conflict, and stress related to prenatal care for these first-time mothers ( McMillan et al, 2021 ).…”

“…IPV calls to police stations across the U.S. initially rose by as much as 27% ( Boserup et al, 2020 ) during the pandemic. Further, a small sample of expectant mothers indicated that verbal conflict with their romantic partners increased by over one-third and physical IPV rose 25% during COVID-19’s early stages ( McMillan et al, 2021 ). External stressors such as widespread lockdown restrictions, increased financial strain, lack of alternative housing, and closure of schools and childcare prevented many individuals experiencing IPV from leaving or seeking help (e.g., Evans et al, 2020 ).…”

“…IPV and mental health indicators were examined in multiple studies. For example, expectant mothers reported that increases in physical harm predicted more depression, anxiety, and stress ( McMillan et al, 2021 ). Further, COVID-19-related stressors also predicted IPV victimization in a study examining cohabiting romantic partners nearing the end of the initial U.S. lockdowns in late May 2020 ( Gresham et al, 2021 ).…”

Couple Conflict and Intimate Partner Violence during the Early Lockdown of the Pandemic: The Good, the Bad, or Is It Just the Same in a North Carolina, Low-Resource Population?

“…It is possible that working part-time during the pandemic provided some of our participants with an essential mix of couple time and economic/insurance benefit. In support of this assertion, a recent study that considered couple functioning among first time mothers during the pandemic also demonstrated that additional couple time in the face of health challenges has a protective function [ 31 ]. However, this additional couple time and greater ability to fulfill familial responsibilities may come with a cost in terms of higher risk of intimate partner violence victimization; IPV victimization may spike when interpersonal expectations are raised but not fulfilled to the perpetrators’ satisfaction.…”