Elsevier

Midwifery

Volume 102, November 2021, 103116
Midwifery

Women's experiences of maternity service reconfiguration during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative investigation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103116Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Abstract

Objective

To explore women's experiences of maternity service reconfiguration during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design

Qualitative interview study.

Setting

South London, United Kingdom.

Participants

Women (N=23) who gave birth between March and August 2020 in one of the ten South London maternity hospitals.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted (N=23), via video-conferencing software. Transcribed interviews were analysed ‘by hand’ using Microsoft Word. Template analysis was selected to code, analyse, and interpret data, according to the findings of a recently-published national survey of maternity service reconfiguration across the UK in response to COVID-19.

Findings

Three main themes emerged through analysis: (i) Disruption to In-Person Care and Increased Virtual Care Provision, (ii) Changes to Labour and Birth Preferences and Plans, (iii) Advice for Navigating Maternity Services During a Pandemic.

Key Conclusions

Women reported mixed views on the reduction in scheduled in-person appointments. The increase in remote care, especially via telephone, was not well endorsed by women. Furthermore, women reported an under-reliance on healthcare professionals for support, rather turning to family.

Implications for Practice

We provide insight into the experiences of women who received antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings should inform healthcare policy to build back better maternity care services after the pandemic. 

Keywords

Maternity Care
COVID-19
Service Delivery
Women's Experiences
Qualitative Research

Cited by (0)

¥

LAM & JS share responsibility as joint Senior Authors of this manuscript.