Experience of women who gave birth during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Mansoura city

Ibrahim Hamdy Aboraiah, Marwa; El-Sayed Mohamed El-Sayed, Hanan; Ibrahim El-Feshawy, Nagwa

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2021.209619

Experience of women who gave birth during the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Mansoura city

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Lecturer of Woman’s Health &Midwifery Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University. Mansoura city, Egypt

² Professor of Woman’s Health &Midwifery Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University. Mansoura city, Egypt.

10.21608/ejhc.2021.209619

Abstract

Background: Maternity care practices have been significantly altered during
COVID-19 pandemic as a protective behavior to control spread of infection, but it affect
experience of parturient woman during giving birth. Aim: Current study aimed to describe
the experience of women who gave birth during the second wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in
Mansoura city. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study design. Setting: The study was
carried out at three health centers located in Mansoura city, Egypt. Subjects: A purposive
sample of 330 woman were included. Sample type: A non-probability purposive sample.
Data collection tools included two tools; structured interview questionnaire & women’s
experience questionnaire. Results: Less than one-third of the studied women had a birth
companion, had enough social or emotional support during birth. Moreover, less than one
quarter of them had a skin to skin contact with their newborn after birth. Most of the studied
women didn’t receive breast feeding support during hospital stay. As regard to their physical
health after discharge, less than one quarter of them had enough sleep, had a high blood
pressure. Also, a round one third of them experienced empathy, closeness, strength, and
safety during giving birth and most of them had fear of getting infected. Conclusion: Birth
experience was affected during COVID-19 as absence of birth companions, emotional and
social support before and after discharge, lack of information and counselling was reported
by the majority of studied women. Furthermore, physical and psychological concerns of
women was affected which affect newborn care. Recommendations: Health care policy and
maternity care practices should focus not only on keeping women safe from infection but
also, increasing women’s overall feelings of safety and control in their birthing environment.

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