According to a study published on Tuesday, COVID has put a lot of stress on pregnant women. It shows that almost 70% of women have experienced at least moderate levels of anxiety during the pandemic and 20% have experienced symptoms of depression.
Research provides more evidence of the distress the coronavirus pandemic has had for mothers and the continuing need to provide better support to pregnant women as it continues.
“High levels of anxiety highlight the importance of considering mental health centrally in supports for this population,” the author said in a study, Dr. statement. The findings of his team were published in the journal Canadian Family Physician.
Having to do it all alone is one of the most important concerns of pregnant mothers
The authors surveyed about 1,500 Canadian women who were pregnant during the pandemic by giving them a list of COVID-related pregnancy issues and asking them what, if any, they were concerned about.
The main concerns were hospital policies related to who could be in the room with them during childbirth, not being able to introduce their new baby to friends and family, getting sick with COVID-19 during pregnancy, and not being able to contact the family. and friends for help during the grueling postpartum period, and conflicting information about COVID during pregnancy and newborns, particularly before the pandemic.
The researchers found some differences in what first- and third-time parents were concerned about. New parents were especially concerned about the cancellation of prenatal classes and hospital visits, while parents who already had children at home were concerned about the possibility of those children transmitting COVID to their baby.
One of the main limitations of the new study is that there is no pre-pandemic survey conducted with a similar group of women with whom the authors could compare their results. The researchers noted pre-pandemic surveys in Japan that placed anxiety levels among pregnant women at 30% and not 70%.
Other studies around the world have also shown the degree of emotional severity of the pandemic for pregnant women. A California-based survey found that women’s risk of depression during pregnancy doubled basically amid COVID. Research in Italy suggests that the number of pregnant women who have “abnormal” anxiety problems also doubled.
Getting pregnant women the support they need
Of course, pregnancy and postpartum can be stressful and emotionally exhausting, even in the best of times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 1 in eight women typically struggle with postpartum depression, although many believe this underestimates the problem.
Over the past 18 months, pregnant women have faced unique stressors, such as changing hospital policies and unprecedented levels of isolation during and after pregnancy.
Still, researchers say much can be done right now to help. Doctors and midwives can consult their patients more often through video visits and can do a better job of disseminating evidence-based information through social media. They need to remain very vigilant when it comes to registering, not only on how women’s pregnancies progress, but also on how they are going emotionally during and after pregnancy.
Friends and family can also help you. An expert previously told HuffPost that it is important to simply validate the difficulty this experience has for pregnant women and that they could get caught in an “anxiety loop”. Ask open-ended questions about how women are doing and offer practical support by sending care and food packages, especially in the postpartum period, when many women may be reluctant to allow other people’s visits.
“Many parents report that people arrive in the first six weeks when they have the adrenaline and excitement of novelty,” an expert told HuffPost earlier. But “there is often a precipitous descent afterwards.”
While the pandemic continues, mothers need support not only during pregnancy, but also in the months that follow, more than ever.
Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available from the publication, but orientations may change as scientists find out more about the virus. Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most up-to-date recommendations.