Iranian pregnant women's experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: a qualitative study

Prevention and control of coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) in pregnant women has become a major concern. The study was conducted to explain the Iranian pregnant women's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This qualitative study was conducted with conventional content analysis. The pregnant women were selected through purposive sampling from six urban health centers until data saturation. Semi structured interviews were conducted through telephone with the interview guide. Systematic thematic analysis was used to identify and organize themes into clusters and categories across interviews.

Twelve pregnant women were recruited. Three theme categories were extracted from data analysis; "unpleasant feelings during pregnancy", "adjusted lifestyle" and “safe pregnancy care”. The pregnant women, while paying attention to the importance of pregnancy care, were forced to limit, delay or modify some cares in order to be safe.

The pregnant women experienced unpleasant feelings in this crisis; therefore, they should receive the necessary consultation to maintain mental health. The pregnant women reported some changes in their lifestyles and pregnancy care in order to prevent the disease. Regular training for all pregnant women is necessary to manage pregnancy period while maintaining the maternal and fetal health in crisis.