Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the lived experiences of informal caregivers for pregnant women seeking scheduled antenatal care during the early stage of China\'s COVID-19 lockdown and potential measures to address the challenges.
METHODS: This is a phenomenological qualitative study.
METHODS: The study was carried out in a leading teaching hospital in Southwest China.
METHODS: We recruited 15 informal caregivers for healthy pregnant women on routine antenatal visits about six months after China launched the city-wide lockdown and other control measures for COVID-19, including 10 males and 5 females with diverse demographic backgrounds.
UNASSIGNED: The research team developed a demographic form and an interview outline with key questions, conducted semi-structured interviews with the informal caregivers, and analyzed the data using the Colazzie\'s method. Five themes of lived experiences were revealed, i.e., increased caregiving burdens, disruption of routines in family life, lack of accurate information and knowledge, active role adjustment, and positive attitudes and coping in a difficult time. Some caregivers reacted positively to the lockdown experience and saw it as an opportunity to rethink their lives and improve family relations.
CONCLUSIONS: The informal caregivers experienced increased physical and psychological burdens. Strategies such as adoption of a less frequent prenatal visit schedule, use of tele-medicine technologies, and provision of accurate information and knowledge may help to ease the increased informal caregiving burdens. Psychological counseling, community services and disaster response policies specially targeting pregnant women and their informal caregivers may also be valuable resources.
CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be drawn to the group of informal caregivers for pregnant women during a COVID-19 lockdown, including professional assistance delivered by nursing and other related professionals. Measures are called for to minimize exposure opportunities such as adoption of a new prenatal care schedule and tele-medicine technologies. Patient education with reliable information should be provided, preferably by nursing staff and physicians. Social support efforts including professional mental counseling may added and work with other resources such as community services and policy makers.
METHODS: This is a phenomenological qualitative study.
METHODS: The study was carried out in a leading teaching hospital in Southwest China.
METHODS: We recruited 15 informal caregivers for healthy pregnant women on routine antenatal visits about six months after China launched the city-wide lockdown and other control measures for COVID-19, including 10 males and 5 females with diverse demographic backgrounds.
UNASSIGNED: The research team developed a demographic form and an interview outline with key questions, conducted semi-structured interviews with the informal caregivers, and analyzed the data using the Colazzie\'s method. Five themes of lived experiences were revealed, i.e., increased caregiving burdens, disruption of routines in family life, lack of accurate information and knowledge, active role adjustment, and positive attitudes and coping in a difficult time. Some caregivers reacted positively to the lockdown experience and saw it as an opportunity to rethink their lives and improve family relations.
CONCLUSIONS: The informal caregivers experienced increased physical and psychological burdens. Strategies such as adoption of a less frequent prenatal visit schedule, use of tele-medicine technologies, and provision of accurate information and knowledge may help to ease the increased informal caregiving burdens. Psychological counseling, community services and disaster response policies specially targeting pregnant women and their informal caregivers may also be valuable resources.
CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be drawn to the group of informal caregivers for pregnant women during a COVID-19 lockdown, including professional assistance delivered by nursing and other related professionals. Measures are called for to minimize exposure opportunities such as adoption of a new prenatal care schedule and tele-medicine technologies. Patient education with reliable information should be provided, preferably by nursing staff and physicians. Social support efforts including professional mental counseling may added and work with other resources such as community services and policy makers.
摘要：
目的：我们旨在探讨在中国COVID-19封锁的早期阶段，寻求定期产前检查的孕妇非正式照顾者的生活经历以及应对挑战的潜在措施。
方法：这是现象学的定性研究。
方法：本研究在中国西南某顶尖教学医院进行。
方法：在中国启动全市范围内的COVID-19封锁和其他控制措施后约6个月，我们为健康孕妇招募了15名非正式护理人员，其中包括10名男性和5名具有不同人口背景的女性。
UNASISIGNED:研究团队开发了一个人口统计表格和一个包含关键问题的访谈大纲，与非正式护理人员进行了半结构化访谈，并使用Colazzie\的方法分析数据。揭示了生活经历的五个主题，即，增加护理负担，扰乱家庭生活中的日常生活，缺乏准确的信息和知识，积极的角色调整，在困难时期积极的态度和应对。一些护理人员对封锁的经历做出了积极的反应，并将其视为重新思考生活和改善家庭关系的机会。
结论：非正式照顾者的身体和心理负担增加。策略，如采用不太频繁的产前检查时间表，使用远程医疗技术，提供准确的信息和知识可能有助于减轻增加的非正式护理负担。心理咨询,特别针对孕妇及其非正式照顾者的社区服务和救灾政策也可能是宝贵的资源。
结论：在COVID-19封锁期间，应注意孕妇的非正式照顾者群体，包括护理和其他相关专业人员提供的专业援助。需要采取措施尽量减少接触机会，例如采用新的产前护理时间表和远程医疗技术。应提供具有可靠信息的患者教育，最好由护理人员和医生。包括专业心理咨询在内的社会支持工作可能会增加，并与社区服务和政策制定者等其他资源合作。
方法：这是现象学的定性研究。
方法：本研究在中国西南某顶尖教学医院进行。
方法：在中国启动全市范围内的COVID-19封锁和其他控制措施后约6个月，我们为健康孕妇招募了15名非正式护理人员，其中包括10名男性和5名具有不同人口背景的女性。
UNASISIGNED:研究团队开发了一个人口统计表格和一个包含关键问题的访谈大纲，与非正式护理人员进行了半结构化访谈，并使用Colazzie\的方法分析数据。揭示了生活经历的五个主题，即，增加护理负担，扰乱家庭生活中的日常生活，缺乏准确的信息和知识，积极的角色调整，在困难时期积极的态度和应对。一些护理人员对封锁的经历做出了积极的反应，并将其视为重新思考生活和改善家庭关系的机会。
结论：非正式照顾者的身体和心理负担增加。策略，如采用不太频繁的产前检查时间表，使用远程医疗技术，提供准确的信息和知识可能有助于减轻增加的非正式护理负担。心理咨询,特别针对孕妇及其非正式照顾者的社区服务和救灾政策也可能是宝贵的资源。
结论：在COVID-19封锁期间，应注意孕妇的非正式照顾者群体，包括护理和其他相关专业人员提供的专业援助。需要采取措施尽量减少接触机会，例如采用新的产前护理时间表和远程医疗技术。应提供具有可靠信息的患者教育，最好由护理人员和医生。包括专业心理咨询在内的社会支持工作可能会增加，并与社区服务和政策制定者等其他资源合作。
