The women's experience of pregnancy and postpartum during COVID-19 pandemic : master's thesis

Šestak, Tea (author), Poljak Lukek, Saša (mentor)

In this master's thesis, the author investigates experience of the pregnancy and the postpartum period in women during COVID-19 pandemic. In the theoretical part, master's thesis presents the key theories and processes of pregnancy and introduces the coronavirus 2019 disease. In empirical work with the help of qualitative phenomenological methodology, the author explores the lived connection between the phenomenon of experiencing pregnancy and the postpartum period with the COVID-19 pandemic. Six adult women who were pregnant and experienced postpartum during COVID-19 were included in the research. The answers were obtained through in-depth interviews. The results show surprisingly positive outcomes of pregnancy and postpartum and bring evidence on how women managed to maintain mental stability and regulate negative symptoms that appeared. Research shed light to the needs women had going through their pregnancy journey. According to the results, effective strategies for coping with COVID-19 significantly reduced risks and consequences that pandemic could have had on mental well-being of women. Optimism served as an inhibitor that helps overcome stressful circumstances. Strong and stable social support played key protective role in maintaining mental stability and regulating negative symptoms in maternal wellbeing. Being separated from their partners or any other close support system may evoke a wide array of negative symptoms such as fear and loneliness. Receiving sufficient emotional and instrumental support comes fort as preventive. The value of the research is in its in-depth analysis of specific type of support and coping mechanism women needed during stressful period of COVID-19. Their experience is valuable and should be supported by additional studies and research. The thesis suggests the need for further research which would enable more validity and possibility for generalization.

• Language: English
• Keywords: pregnancy, postpartum, COVID-19, phenomenological method
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: TEOF - Theological Faculty
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [T. Šestak]
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: IV, 61, II str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-146343
• UDC: 159.9:612.63:616.98:578.834 (043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 153923331
• Publication date in RUL: 24.05.2023

ŠESTAK, Tea, 2023, The women’s experience of pregnancy and postpartum during COVID-19 pandemic : master’s thesis [online]. Master’s thesis. Ljubljana : T. Šestak. [Accessed 16 March 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=146343

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Izkušnje nosečnosti in obdobja po porodu pri ženskah med pandemijo COVID-19

Abstract

V magistrski nalogi raziskujemo izkušnje nosečnosti in poporodnega obdobja pri ženskah v času pandemije COVID-19. V teoretičnem delu so v magistrskem delu predstavljene ključne teorije in procesi nosečnosti ter je predstavljena bolezen koronavirus 2019. V empiričnem delu s pomočjo kvalitativne fenomenološke metode raziskujemo osebno doživljanje nosečnosti in poporodnega obdobja v času pandemijeo COVID-19. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih šest odraslih žensk, ki so bile noseče in so med COVID-19 doživele porod. Odgovore smo dobili s pomočjo poglobljenih intervjujev. Rezultati kažejo na presenetljivo pozitivne izzide nosečnosti in poroda ter prinašajo dokaze o tem, da je ženskam, vključenim v razliskavo, uspelo ohraniti psihično stabilnost in uravnavati negativne simptome, ki so se pojavili. Raziskave so osvetlile potrebe žensk med nosečnostjo. Glede na rezultate so učinkovite strategije za soočanje s COVID-19 znatno zmanjšale tveganja in posledice, ki bi jih lahko imela pandemija na duševno počutje žensk. Optimizem je služil kot zaviralec, ki pomaga premagovati stresne okoliščine. Močna in stabilna socialna podpora je igrala ključno zaščitno vlogo pri ohranjanju duševne stabilnosti in uravnavanju negativnih simptomov pri materinem blagostanju. Ločenost od partnerja ali katerega koli drugega tesnega sistema podpore lahko povzroči široko paleto negativnih simptomov, kot sta strah in osamljenost. Prejemanje zadostne čustvene in instrumentalne podpore je pomembno kot preventiva. Vrednost raziskave je v poglobljeni analizi vrst podpore in mehanizmov soočanja s stresom, ki jih ženske potrebujejo obdobju COVID-19. Njihove izkušnje so dragocene in jih je treba podpreti z dodatnimi študijami in raziskavami. Diplomsko delo kaže na potrebo po nadaljnjih raziskavah, ki bi omogočile večjo veljavnost in možnost posploševanja.

• Keywords: nosečnost, poporodno obdobje, COVID-19, fenomenološka metoda