Motherhood experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5020/23590777.rs.v26i1.e15919Keywords:
mother-child relations, parenting, COVID-19Abstract
The containment measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, although essential, had significant implications for women who gave birth during this period. This integrative literature review with a qualitative focus aimed to map and analyze national and international literature on women's motherhood experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive search was conducted across seven databases: CINAHL, Embase, LILACS/IndexPSI, PsycINFO, SciELO, Scopus, and Web of Science, following the PRISMA protocol. A total of 6,119 articles were identified, peer-reviewed and managed using Rayyan software. After removing duplicates, conducting a double-blind screening of titles and abstracts, and reading full texts according to eligibility criteria, 19 articles were included for analysis. Through reflexive thematic analysis, four thematic categories emerged. The results indicated that mothers experienced a range of adverse feelings and situations during the pandemic, such as losses related to the postnatal experience, stress due to social isolation, lack of support or absence of individuals from their social networks, and fear of virus contamination. However, maternal reports also highlighted some perceived benefits brought by the pandemic, such as reduced visits, improved bonding with the newborn, successful breastfeeding due to increased time with the baby, greater partner involvement, reduced social pressure, and access to telehealth services. Understanding women’s motherhood experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic can support health professionals in developing interventions for future public health crises.
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