Pregnancy, Birthing, and Postpartum Experiences During COVID-19 in the United States

Sarah E DeYoung; Michaela Mangum

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2021.611212

Pregnancy, Birthing, and Postpartum Experiences During COVID-19 in the United States

Front Sociol. 2021 Feb 8:6:611212. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.611212. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Sarah E DeYoung¹, Michaela Mangum²

Affiliations

¹ Disaster Research Center and Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.
² Disaster Research Center, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States.

Abstract

The research aims of this project were to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum experiences in the United States. Our data include responses from 34 states within the US. Findings from our analyses indicate that higher perceived social support predicted higher scores of well-being, while higher scores of perceived loneliness predicted lower scores of well-being, and higher trauma predicted lower well-being measured as satisfaction with life. Qualitative data support these findings, as well as the finding that there were various sources of stress for respondents during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum timeframe-particularly in terms of managing work/occupation obligations and childcare. Additionally, this research fills a gap in understanding infant feeding in emergencies. Respondents perceived that early release from the hospital reduced access to lactation support, and many respondents reported receiving free samples of breastmilk substitutes through a variety of sources.

Keywords: COVID-19; birthing; infant feeding; post traumatic; postpartum; pregnancy.