"This pregnancy makes sense": Experiences of women who have decided to continue pregnancy after lethal fetal diagnosis

Some Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Hospice Care in America

This article celebrates the 50th anniversary of hospice care in America. It also offers a brief recounting of one person's reflections on some aspects of the history, achievements, and current status of American hospice care.

Parental experiences of prenatal education when preparing for labor and birth of infant with a lethal diagnosis

AIM

The aim of this study was to describe the unique experiences of parents facing a Life Limiting Fetal Conditions (LLFC) diagnosis, who chose to continue with their pregnancy, as they prepare for childbirth through individual and group prenatal education.

DESIGN

A qualitative study.

METHODS

We employed the phenomenological approach and the Colaizzi strategy to analyse semi-structured interviews. Thirteen persons were interviewed. The participants were couples (n = 6) and women (n = 7) who received LLFC and were preparing for birth.

RESULTS

We described three main paths of prenatal education chosen by parents with LLFC: 'Searching for normality' concerned people participating in conventional prenatal classes (AC) who tried to avoid confronting the situation they faced; 'Searching for communitas' concerned the participation in special AC selected for the opportunity of sharing experiences; 'Searching for an individual way' concerned people who resorted to individual preparation for childbirth, often as a result of delayed planning. Parents should have a choice of various paths of birth preparation, that best meet their preferences.

Experiencing Pregnancy during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Mediating Effect of Resiliency on Prenatal Depression Symptoms

The COVID-19 pandemic in Poland brought uncertainty, not only to the general population but also to women preparing for childbirth, which increased the risk of mental health illnesses during this special period of life. Resilience, which refers to positive adaptation or the ability to maintain good mental health, can be a protective factor against the development of psychiatric problems such as depressive symptoms. This study aimed to assess the protective role of resilience in the relationship of such risk factors as traumatic childbirth perception and pandemic-related pregnancy stress with prenatal depressive symptoms. The study was performed at the end of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 80 pregnant women took part. A mediation analysis, an independent t-test, and a Pearson correlation analysis were conducted. The lower resilience group declared the inclusion of slightly more participants (n = 41; 51.2%); 39 women (48.8%) demonstrated a higher risk of prenatal depression. The analysis revealed a significant direct effect between pandemic-related stress and prenatal depression (βc = 0.285, SE = 0.05, t = 2.63, p < 0.05) as well as between pandemic-related stress and resilience (βa = −0.283, SE = 0.07, t = −2.61, p < 0.05) and between resilience and prenatal depression (βb = −0.585, SE = 0.07, t = −6.34, p < 0.001). After the introduction of resilience as a mediator, the strength of the relationship not only decreased, but also ceased to be statistically significant (βc′ = 0.120, SE = 0.04, t = 1.29, p = 0.19), which indicates that it was in a full mediation state (R2 = 0.39, F = 25.31, p < 0.001; Z = 2.43, p < 0.05). The results indicate that in pregnant women, a high level of resilience protects them from the effects of pandemic-related stress on perinatal depression symptoms.