The Role of Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress in Preference for Community Birth...

Question 1

Pandemic-related pregnancy stress

Answer 1

Focuses on two main concerns relate to being pregnant during the pandemic: preparedness concerns and perinatal infection concerns

Question 2

Preparedness stress

Answer 2

Feeling unprepared for the birth and pospartum period because of pandemic-related restrictions

Question 3

Perinatal infection concerns

Answer 3

Relates to concerns about COVID-19 infection for mother and fetus/newborn

Question 4

Place of birth

Answer 4

Evidence suggests that women with high levels of fear are more likely to choose a hospital birth, and women with less stress/fears are more likely to choose a community birth.

Question 5

Summary

Answer 5

On average, women who preferred a hospital birth were more concerned about perinatal infection. However, it was evident that infection concerns were associated with a greater likelihood of preferring a community birth.

Overall, women who felt prepared for birth despite the pandemic (ie, low pandemic preparedness stress) had the highest probability of preferring a community birth, regardless of infection stress

Alternately, women who felt least prepared for birth (high preparedness stress) were least likely to prefer a community birth, BUT NOTE that there was also low perinatal stress.

Women may have been swayed by their fear of contracted COVID-19 (high perinatal stress) at the hospital to have a community birth even if they weren’t prepared.