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Substantial changes occurred in Australian healthcare provision during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the risk of infection transmission. Little is known about the impact of these changes on childbearing women. To explore and describe childbearing women's experiences of receiving maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A qualitative exploratory design using semi-structured interviews was used. Women were recruited through social media and self-nominated to participate in an interview. Maximum variation sampling was used. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted with women from across Australia. Data was analysed thematically. Three primary themes and nine sub-themes emerged: 'navigating a changing health system' (coping with constant change, altered access to care, dealing with physical distancing restrictions, and missing care), 'desiring choice and control' (experiencing poor communication, making hard decisions, and considering alternate models of care), and 'experiencing infection prevention measures' (minimising the risk of exposure and changing care plans to minimise infection risk). The substantial changes in care delivery for pregnant and postpartum women during the pandemic appear to have reduced woman-centred care. In most cases, care was perceived as impersonal and incomplete, resulting in a very different experience than expected; consequences included missing care. The presence of a known care provider improved women's sense of communication, choice, and control. This study provides unique insight into the experiences of childbearing women across Australia. The importance of respectful woman-centred care cannot be forgotten during a pandemic. The findings may inform future service planning during pandemics and disaster situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has required rapid and radical changes to the way maternity care is provided in many nations across the world. Midwives provide care to childbearing women across the continuum and are key members of the maternity workforce in Australia. To explore and describe midwives' experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A two-phased cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected through an online survey and semi-structured interviews between May-June 2020. Six hundred and twenty midwives responded to the online survey. Many reported a move to telehealth appointments. For labour care, 70% of midwives reported women had limited support; 77% indicated postnatal visiting was impacted. Five main themes were derived from the qualitative data including: coping with rapid and radical changes, challenges to woman-centred care, managing professional resilience, addressing personal and professional challenges, and looking ahead. Restrictions applied to women's choices, impacted midwives' ability to provide woman-centred care, which resulted in stress and anxiety for midwives. Professional resilience was supported through collaborative relationships and working in continuity models. Midwives revealed 'silver linings' experienced in providing care during the pandemic. Findings provide valuable evidence to understand the impact on midwives who have provided care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge will be useful for health leaders and policy makers as they consider ways to continue care during the pandemic and support the essential midwifery workforce. Recommendations are presented to improve preparedness for future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has led to multiple changes in maternity services worldwide. Systems rapidly adapted to meet public health requirements aimed at preventing transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2, including quarantine procedures, travel restrictions, border closures, physical distancing and "stay‐at‐home" orders. Although these changes have impacted all stakeholders in maternity services, arguably the women at the center of this care have been most affected. This study aimed to explore women's experiences of receiving maternity care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia. Methods: A national cross‐sectional online survey, including fixed choice and open‐ended questions, was conducted during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia; pregnant and postnatal women were recruited through social media networks. Results: The survey was completed by 3364 women. Women felt distressed and alone due to rapid changes to their maternity care. Limited face‐to‐face contact with health practitioners and altered models of care often required women to accommodate significant changes and to coordinate their own care. Women felt that they were often "doing it alone," due to public health restrictions on support people and visitors, both within and outside health services. Women described some benefits of visitor restrictions, such as, more time for rest, breastfeeding establishment, and bonding with their baby. Conclusions: This large nationwide Australian study provides unique data on women's experiences of receiving maternity care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Lessons learned provide an opportunity to rebuild and reshape the maternity sector to best meet the needs of women and their families during current and future public health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Maternity services are not meeting the needs of women with physical disabilities. • These women face numerous barriers in accessing high quality, respectful care. • Accommodating organisational policies enhance women's care experiences. • Co-designing service improvements with women will be crucial for their success. Women with physical disabilities face multiple barriers in accessing safe, respectful and acceptable healthcare. As the number of women with physical disabilities becoming pregnant rises, ensuring their access to acceptable and high-quality maternity care becomes increasingly important. This review aimed to explore the most recent evidence regarding access to, and experiences of, maternity care for women with physical disabilities in high-income countries. A scoping review was undertaken as guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A systematic search of five online databases identified relevant articles published in English from 2000 to 2020. Reference lists of included studies were also screened, and quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklists. A thematic synthesis was undertaken to develop descriptive and analytical themes. After screening, 27 articles from eight high-income countries were included. All articles were identified as having moderate or high methodological rigour in the quality appraisal. Women with physical disabilities reported numerous barriers in accessing maternity care and described predominantly mixed and negative experiences of care. These findings were grouped under three major themes: women with physical disabilities want a "normal" pregnancy experience; the need to strengthen maternity provider's disability knowledge and skills; and promoting enabling environments for improved access to, and experiences of, maternity care. This review found that for women with physical disabilities access to, and experiences of, maternity care is suboptimal. Improving maternity providers disability knowledge and awareness, increasing the availability of support services for women, and increasing person-centred care through organisational policies and provider training may help to address the inequities women with disabilities face in accessing high-quality maternity care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]