Re-centering Relationships: Obstetric Violence, Health Care Rationalities, and Pandemic Childbirth in Canada

Area of Science:

• Perinatal Health
• Public Health Policy
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems globally.
• Policies enacted to curb virus transmission, such as limiting visitors, inadvertently affected the social context of childbirth.
• Existing frameworks for understanding childbirth rights did not fully account for pandemic-specific relational disruptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of COVID-19 pandemic policies on childbirth rights in Canada.
• To explore the paradox of health policies that acknowledge but then restrict essential social connections during childbirth.
• To propose an expansion of obstetric violence theory to encompass the neglect of relational well-being in perinatal care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of narratives from women who gave birth in Canada during the pandemic.
• Drawing on theories of obstetric violence and relational personhood.
• Critical examination of pandemic-related healthcare policies and their implications.

Main Results:

• Pandemic policies, while aiming for health, often treated social connections as a risk, undermining the social context crucial for well-being.
• Women's experiences highlighted the benefits of social support during pregnancy and childbirth, which were compromised by restrictions.
• The study identified a gap in obstetric violence theory regarding the interdependence of birthing individuals and their support networks.

Conclusions:

• The perinatal healthcare system's failure to prioritize relational interdependence contributed to negative childbirth experiences.
• Expanding obstetric violence theory to include the safeguarding of relationships is crucial.
• Integrating relationship-centered care into perinatal planning can enhance resilience against obstetric violence.