Abstract
Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected perinatal care
services globally, leading to World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation for
six in-person and two virtual antenatal visits to reduce travel and antenatal visits.
Changes were made to reduce infection risk, with online consultations becoming a
popular interim measure.
Aim: The aim was to understand perinatal clients’ experiences of perinatal care during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Setting: The study was conducted in five facilities of Bojanala district in the North West
province, South Africa.
Methods: The study followed a qualitative, exploratory, contextual design using semistructured,
face-to-face interviews. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10
participants meeting the inclusion criteria, who were interviewed until data saturation
was reached. Data were organised into themes using thematic analysis. Ethical
considerations and measures of trustworthiness were adhered to.
Results: Three themes emerged altered routine, staff attitude and isolation during
delivery. The nine sub-themes were pre-screening, entering the facility in turns, infection
prevention and control, very slow queues, discontent about wearing masks, nurses’ fear
of infection, staying longer than 5 h in the queue only to receive less than 10 min of
service, no visitors including spouses allowed for emotional support, and compulsory
COVID-19 test.
Conclusion: South Africa should revisit policies and guidelines to support pregnant
women during the difficult phases of unforeseen pandemics.
Contribution: Multidisciplinary involvement in the psychological support of antenatal
clients and nurses during any pandemic is crucial to ensure mental well-being.