Postnatal Experiences of Mothers during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Infectious breakdowns are known to cause fear among people. Postnatal women were more vulnerable during COVID-19 outbreak in Nepal. This study aims to explore experiences of the postnatal women during COVID pandemic. Methods: A retrospective descriptive phenomenological study was conducted among the postnatal mothers attending Out-Patient Department services at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital. Mothers who delivered babies during COVID-19 were included in this study. Purposive sampling method was used. Nine participants were included in the study till data saturation. In-depth interviews were conducted. The data were recorded, translated, transcribed and analyzed using descriptive thematic analysis. Results: The participants were between the ages of 26-33 years. Slightly more than half; 5 (55.55%) of them had a cesarean section for delivery. Seven major themes emerged from the verbatim obtained as: feeling of fear, development of resilience, feeling of regret, feeling of alone, challenges due to limited resources, internal conflict and could not enjoy the postnatal period. Conclusions: Feeling fear of infection to the baby, development of resilience and feeling alone were the major experiences of the mothers. Special support for the mothers such as virtual support groups or well- designed packages during the postnatal period could be designed during such pandemic time to enhance the positive experiences of mothers during postnatal period.