Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1389702

Freedom for some, but not for Mum: The reproductive injustice associated with pandemic ‘Freedom Day’ for perinatal women in the United Kingdom

Provisionally accepted
Sergio A. Silverio Sergio A. Silverio 1*Elizabeth J. Harris Elizabeth J. Harris 2Leanne Jackson Leanne Jackson 2Victoria Fallon Victoria Fallon 2The PRaM Study Group The PRaM Study Group 2,3Abigail Easter Abigail Easter 1Peter von Dadelszen Peter von Dadelszen 1Davor Jurković Davor Jurković 4Laura A. Magee Laura A. Magee 1
  • 1 King's College London, London, United Kingdom
  • 2 University of Liverpool, Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom
  • 3 Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom
  • 4 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Healthcare services for pregnant and postpartum (‘perinatal’) women were reconfigured significantly at the advent and for the duration of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and despite the United Kingdom announcing ‘Freedom Day’ on 19 July 2021 (whereafter all legal lockdown-related restrictions were lifted), restrictions to maternity (antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal) services remained. This study presents data from eight perinatal women about their experiences of psychosocial wellbeing and maternity care in the post-‘Freedom Day’ epoch. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually, with data recorded, transcribed, and analysed by hand. Grounded Theory Analysis was employed with the final theory assessing the reproductive injustice of the pandemic ‘Freedom Day’. Results: Analysing iteratively and inductively led to four emergent themes: ‘A Failing System, Failing Women’; ‘Harm Caused by a State of Difference’; ‘The Privileges (Not Rights) of Reproductive Autonomy, Agency, and Advocacy’; and ‘Worried Women and Marginalised Mothers’. Together, these themes form the theory of: ‘Freedom for some, but not for Mum’. Discussion: Women experienced a lack of high-quality reliable information about the pandemic, vaccination against the virus, and the changes to, and decision-making surrounding, their perinatal care. Women recognised healthcare professionals and maternity services were stretched and that maternity services were failing, but often reported hostility from staff and abandonment at times when they were unsure about how to navigate their care. The most singular injustice was the disparity between women having to accept continuing restrictions to their freedom while receiving maternity care and the (reckless) freedom being enacted by the general public.

    Keywords: COVID-19, reproductive justice, Pregnancy, Postpartum Period, Motherhood

    Received: 26 Feb 2024; Accepted: 24 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Silverio, Harris, Jackson, Fallon, Study Group, Easter, von Dadelszen, Jurković and Magee. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Sergio A. Silverio, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.