Association of provider advice and gestational weight gain in twin pregnancies: a cross-sectional electronic survey

Perceived stress and support preferences during bed rest in twin pregnancies: A cross-sectional online survey

OBJECTIVE

To identify the most prominent sources of stress, examine correlates of stress, and assess support preferences to inform future interventions among women pregnant with twins who are on bed rest.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was administered to pregnant and postpartum women who were recommended bed rest during their twin pregnancy. Total stress while on bedrest was assessed using an adapted version of the Antepartum Hospital Stressors Inventory (AHSI). Bivariate analyses were used to compare total stress scores across participant characteristics using linear regression, Spearman's correlation, and one-way ANOVA. Qualitative content regarding women's bed rest experiences and future intervention preferences was analyzed into themes.

FINDINGS

Women's (N = 104, mean age 30.6 years ± 4.6) most prominent sources of stress while on bed rest included thinking about babies' health, feeling dependent on others, and feeling uncertain about the outcome. Women who were recommended bed rest earlier in their pregnancy or were recommended both home and hospital bedrest had higher stress scores, while women with monochorionic/monoamniotic pregnancies had lower stress scores. Approximately 64% of women indicated interest in a bed rest support program, with 88% indicating a preference for online support and 70% wanting support from family.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

Women pregnant with twins who are recommended bed rest identify many sources of stress. Our findings suggest a need for stress-management interventions targeting this population.

Variations in health behaviors among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

To examine changes in lifestyle behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional internet-based survey was completed by 706 pregnant women (mean age 29.6 years ± 3.2) residing in the United States in May 2020 to assess self-reported changes in diet, physical activity, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regression analyses examined whether sociodemographic, clinical, and pandemic-related characteristics were associated with health behavior changes.

Results

Approximately 17% of women reported their diets worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, 42% reported improvements, and 41% reported no change. For physical activity, 22% reported they stopped being active, 2% reported they became active, and 76% reported no change. Nearly one-third of participants reported getting less sleep. The factors consistently associated with adverse lifestyle changes (worse diet, stopped being active, and reduced sleep) were experiences of pregnancy complications, loss of income due to COVID-19, and changes in social connections due to COVID-19.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of pregnant women reported adverse lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions during the pandemic to optimize health behaviors in pregnant women, especially among those with pregnancy complications, should address economic disadvantages and social support.