To be soft again: A phenomenological study of uncertainty and resilience in childbearing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty was exacerbated in experiences of pregnancy and childbirth as people navigated through uncharted territory. Building resilience may be one effective way to cope. However, for those who carry a heavier burden in upholding others, a societal expectation of "toughness" and the ability to endure may lead to an appearance of resilience, while on the inside, well-being may be compromised.

Objectives: This study is part of a larger phenomenological study that explored the broad research question: What is the lived experience of childbearing during the COVID-19 pandemic? Specific themes of uncertainty and resilience are reported with the aim to provide a deeper exploration of the role they play in childbearing persons' lives.

Design: This study utilized an interpretive phenomenological design, which allowed for an in-depth exploration of participants' experiences and the implicit meanings of those experiences.

Methods: Participants who were either currently or recently pregnant and had given birth since the pandemic began were recruited from a larger U.S. national survey. Twenty-two U.S. ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse women were interviewed via Zoom in English or Spanish.

Results: The text revealed rich narratives of uncertainty during the unfolding of the pandemic vis-à-vis direct experiences of contracting COVID-19, concerns regarding vaccination, and the effects of public health restrictions impacting pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. Participants also shared how courage and humility contributed to their overall resilience, and how resilience may be masked in others.

Conclusion: When considering the complexity of women's lives in contemporary society along with the demands of motherhood to facilitate a deeply felt resilience resulting in well-being, interventions must be multi-pronged to lessen the pressures to be a superwoman and/or supermom and change the norm on a societal level for childbearing persons to have the option to be soft again.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; childbearing; childbirth; masking; mental health; phenomenology; postpartum; pregnancy; resilience; supermom; superwoman; uncertainty.