A qualitative study of Turkish midwives’ experience of providing care to pregnant women infected with COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: To determine the experiences of Turkish midwives who provided care to pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspected of having it, during labour and delivery. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was used. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 15 midwives from 15 different hospitals in various Turkish cities through video-conferencing. Data analysis was based on Graneheim and Lundman's techniques for extracting themes from qualitative data. FINDINGS: Four themes emerged: “Measures against pandemic uncertainty,” “Impairment in postpartum care,” “Emotional burden of the pandemic,” and “Adaptation to the results of the pandemic.” Midwives stated that they tried to reduce the risk of contamination by taking self-protection measures and creating isolated areas. They carried out practices such as separating the mother and baby postpartum and not allowing breastfeeding. They experienced emotional confusion with the difficulties faced in this process, and they became professional in the management of the process. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of this study reveal the challenges faced by Turkish midwives during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of the publication of evidence-based guidelines. Provision of emotional support for midwives is essential in order to sustain the continuity of the quality maintenance of midwifery care.