Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Linnea Mavrides, Psy.D.

Second Advisor

Eva Feindler, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Hannah Knafo, Ph.D.

Abstract

In 2020, alongside the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, 209,338 births occurred in New York State (Osterman et al., 2022). While much of the public adjusted to working or learning in a virtual world, many hospitals in New York remained open to treat those in need of care. Women nearing the end of their pregnancy, many of whom felt that they had no other choice, found themselves headed to the hospital—to the labor and delivery unit. Many studies completed outside of the United States on the birth experience during the pandemic found an increase in the likelihood of negative outcomes for these mothers, including an increase in postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) (Hessami et al., 2020; Mariño-Narvaez et al., 2020; Cameron et al., 2020). Others found that women rated the quality of care received at hospitals more poorly (Mariño-Narvaez et al., 2020), and another described maternal mental health during the pandemic as a “neglected global health issue” (Ajayi et al., 2021). However, considerably fewer studies have examined the subjective experience of women who birthed during this time in the United States, despite the importance of understanding how the pandemic may have impacted the experience of becoming a mother in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine and understand the subjective experiences of women who birthed in New York hospitals during the first wave of pandemic lockdown. Twelve mothers who birthed between March 15th 2020 and August 31st 2020 were individually interviewed. Interviews were analyzed using Auerbach and Silverstein’s grounded theory methodology (2003), which involved coding for relevant text and repeating ideas, and subsequently developing themes and theoretical constructs from this data. Seven theoretical constructs were identified: 1) Becoming a Mother During the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic was Emotionally Taxing; 2) Women Felt Unsupported by Healthcare Professionals; 3) Women Felt Isolated and Misunderstood, Except For by Other First-Time Covid Mothers; 4) The Climate of Uncertainty Contributed to Stress; 5) There Were Some Positives to Giving Birth During the Pandemic; 6) Women Felt as Though They Missed Out on the Typical Birthing Experience; 7) Women Had Varying Reactions to Hospital Protocol. Findings from this study provide a more developed understanding of what challenges birthing women faced and suggest that many of these women may not have received sufficient support throughout their transition to motherhood. Recommendations are made for ways in which some of these challenges might be addressed if another widespread health crisis arises in the future, and ways in which healthcare professionals may balance considerations of physical safety with that of emotional wellbeing.

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