“Hey child, why were you born when the world is almost over?”: An analysis of first-time mothers’ postpartum experiences during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico
Introduction In Coatepec, Mexico, the immediate postpartum is considered a special time, called the cuarentena , when postpartum women receive critical social support and observe diet and activity pre- and proscriptions—all intended to enhance maternal-child health. This study examined how public he...
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Published in | Maternal and child health journal Vol. 26; no. 8; pp. 1732 - 1740 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
New York
Springer US
01.08.2022
Springer Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Introduction
In Coatepec, Mexico, the immediate postpartum is considered a special time, called the
cuarentena
, when postpartum women receive critical social support and observe diet and activity pre- and proscriptions—all intended to enhance maternal-child health. This study examined how public health mandates aimed at containing COVID-19, which instructed people to socially isolate, affected women’s postpartum experiences, including observing the
cuarentena
.
Methods
We recruited first-time mothers from the local public health clinic and collected qualitative data via a verbally administered survey that covered knowledge/perceived threat of COVID-19 and its effect on the
cuarentena
and maternal mood. We used content analysis to analyze the data.
Results
We conducted 33 telephonic interviews from March to December 2020. Overall, women were knowledgeable about and receptive to public health messaging regarding COVID-19 risks and safety measures. Despite knowledge and receptivity, most followed their original
cuarentena
plans to observe culturally prescribed postpartum practices, even when doing so contradicted public health mandates. However, the mandates that limited socialization with friends and extended family during the
cuarentena
negatively affected maternal mood.
Discussion
Postpartum women, especially in under-studied low- and middle-income countries, merit research attention. Emergent from this study is that public health messaging should speak to its target audience in a way that makes sense within local contexts, which includes consideration of highly valued health practices. Future studies aimed at understanding how to achieve this goal will facilitate development of stronger programs that address public health needs and protect individual well-being. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1092-7875 1573-6628 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10995-022-03405-6 |