Birth and Breastfeeding in the Hospital Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for new mothers navigating hospital birth and breastfeeding. Understanding these experiences can help healthcare providers improve support for families during public health crises.
Area of Science:
- Maternal-child health
- Public health
- Sociology of health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted hospital birth experiences for new families.
- Breastfeeding and postpartum care faced unprecedented challenges due to pandemic-related restrictions and uncertainties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum experiences of three first-time mothers during the early COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia, PA.
- To identify key challenges and shared concerns faced by these mothers in hospital settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative case study approach.
- In-depth exploration of individual experiences framed by prenatal goals, infant feeding intentions, and postpartum outcomes.
- Analysis of shared concerns across five key areas: changing recommendations, emotional distress, healthcare access, social support, and positive aspects.
Main Results:
- Mothers reported daily changes in recommendations, leading to guilt, concern, and stress.
- Experiences included navigating in-person versus telehealth visits and missing family support.
- Despite challenges, mothers identified "silver linings" within their experiences.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers must adapt communication and anticipatory guidance to support new families during public health crises.
- Evidence-based lactation care and support need enhancement to address pandemic-specific challenges.
- Understanding mothers' perceptions is crucial for improving postpartum and infant feeding support systems.
Abstract:
For new families giving birth in a hospital setting, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to their birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum experiences. We present experiences of three first-time, healthy mothers and their babies, as they gave birth in the hospital and were breastfeeding during the start of the pandemic in Philadelphia, PA. Each case is framed in the mother's prenatal goals, infant feeding intentions, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum experiences. Shared concerns and experiences among the three participants are described in five key areas: 1) Recommendations changing every day, 2) Guilt, concern, and stress, 3) In-person versus telehealth visits, 4) Missing time with family and friends, and 5) Silver linings. Through these mothers' experiences, nurses and other health care providers can learn from their perceptions and events and proactively work to ensure we provide sound anticipatory guidance, enhance our communication, and improve provision of evidence-based lactation care and support.
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