The postpartum period during the COVID-19 pandemic: investigating Turkish women’s postpartum support and postpartum-specific anxiety

Objectives This study aimed to examine how Turkish women were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the postpartum period in terms of postpartum support and anxiety variables. Methods The study was conducted with 130 women who gave birth during the COVID-19 period. Data were collected online using a personal information form, Postpartum Support Scale and Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics were used, with Kruskal–Wallis and regression analysis performed. Results All postpartum women stated that they were affected negatively by COVID-19. The most common issues described were feeling alone (25.51%), having economic difficulties (15.5%) and experiencing difficulties accessing health services (21.7%). The mean Postpartum Support Scale score was 102.43 ± 27.67, while the mean Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale score was 188.07 ± 96.71. COVID-19 exposure level had a significant effect on postpartum-specific anxiety (p=0.00). The variables of having a problem during pregnancy (p=0.006), having a baby willingly (p=0.007), and partner’s educational status significantly predicted the degree of being affected by COVID-19 (p=0.025). The degree to which COVID-19 affected the women was determined by having problems during pregnancy, having a baby willingly, and a highly educated partner. Conclusions These variables may inform a resource to empower postpartum women during COVID-19. Healthcare systems need to be organised considering pandemic conditions to provide increased postpartum support, evaluate psychological health, deliver healthcare services, and consider pregnancy periods.

Feature Article—Continuing Education Module—Reimagining Postpartum Support

This article introduces the author's emerging new paradigm (“perinatal participation”) that re-imagines postpartum support by helping expectant parents have more peace of mind, confidence, self-compassion, and emotional wellbeing over the course of their perinatal journeys, with special focus on feeling more prepared for all that happens after baby arrives. The author's work rests on the shoulders of her 1992 book, Mothering the New Mother: Women's Feelings and Needs After Childbirth. Perceiving a new urgent need to support expectant parents three decades later (the need to alleviate the high stress levels in expectant parents she was talking to) the author explored filtering the expectant and new parent's experience through what she calls a “peace-of-mind lens.”

Mixed-method evaluation of a community-based postpartum support program: a study protocol

IntroductionBecoming a parent is one of the most significant events an individual will experience in their lifetime. The postpartum period can be a difficult time, especially for mothers, who may require extra support during this challenging time. The proposed study seeks to understand the issue of postpartum support for mothers and their families. It will address this aim by using the Mothercraft Ottawa Postpartum Support Drop-in Program as real-life illustration of a community-based service organisation delivering these services.Methods and analysisA three-phased mixed-method programme evaluation guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) evaluation framework and the tenets of community-based participatory research. Instrumental case study methodology will be employed to gain an in-depth understanding of what impact(s) the programme is having on mothers, their partners and their families (phase I-qualitative). A questionnaire, regression modelling, and geospatial analysis will be conducted to gain a deeper understanding of specific programme outputs and to generate information that will help inform programme reach (phase II-quantitative). Study phase III will focus on knowledge translation activities to stakeholders and the broader academic community.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was granted by the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board (H-12-18-1492). The results of this study will be disseminated at a community workshop, in an academic thesis, at academic conferences and in peer-reviewed publications.

Dukungan Sosial Pada Ibu Postpartum Primipara Terhadap Kejadian Postpartum Blues

Postpartum Blues (PPB) jika tidak ditangani akan berkembang menjadi depresi atau psikosa postpartum. Masalah ini dialami oleh sebagian ibu postpartum karena peran barunya sebagai seorang ibu. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi hubungan dukungan sosial pada ibu postpartum primipara terhadap kejadian postpartum blues. Jenis penelitian adalah kuantitaif dengan pendekatan deskiptif korelasi, jumlah sampel 106 orang dengan kriteria inklusi ibu postpartum hari 1-7, semua jenis persalinan, ibu sadar penuh, primipara dan bersedia menjadi responden. Penentuan jumlah sampel dengan menggunakan consecutive sampling dengan tehnik pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) dan postpartum support system and family coping quessionaire. Analisa data dengan chi-square. Ibu postpartum primipara mendapatkan dukungan sosial baik sebanyak 89.6% dan sebanyak 40,6% ibu primipara mengalami postpartum blues. Hasil analisis bivariate didapatkan p-value 0,007 (p-value <0,005) yang berarti terdapat hubungan antara dukungan sosial terhadap kejadian postpartum blues pada ibu primipara di RSKIA Kota Bandung. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa penting untuk deteksi dini kejadian postpartum blues atau depresi postpartum pada saat ibu hamil.

Postpartum Anxiety

This chapter focuses on anxiety disorders presenting in the postpartum. Symptoms include ruminative, excessive worried thoughts that are minimally decreased with reassurance and support, an inability to relax, feelings of tension, worry the baby’s health, feeling overwhelmed with caring for the baby, and insomnia due to intrusive worried thoughts and inability to relax. Depressive symptoms can occur secondary to feeling anxious. Women with a history of an anxiety disorder have an elevated risk of developing these symptoms postpartum. Support and encouragement for family is important. Medications such as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and short-term use of a benzodiazepine may be required. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and cognitive-behavioral therapy may all be helpful. Lack of treatment may result in postpartum depression, impaired mother/infant bonding and impaired infant/child development.