Women who gave birth between March and August this year are invited to take part in an online survey to share their experiences of pregnancy and childbirth.
Since 1995, National Maternity Surveys have been carried out in the UK by the University of Oxford’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU). These surveys collect up-to-date information on women’s experiences of pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood, which is used to improve maternity services across the country.
This year, the survey has been updated to take into account the coronavirus pandemic. You & Your Baby 2020 will ask women about their experiences of COVID-19, national lockdown and social distancing measures, and how the pandemic has impacted their health and care during the perinatal period. It will be the first large population-based survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and care of women and babies in the UK.
You & Your Baby 2020 is open to all women who gave birth in the UK in March-August 2020, who are at least 16 years of age and who have a current UK address. The questions take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
The survey can be accessed here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/02FLCJ/
All women who take part will have the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win one of five £100 Love2shop vouchers.
Dr Siân Harrison, a lead researcher on the survey, said: ‘What we currently know about women’s health and care from pregnancy through to early parenthood during the pandemic is fragmented or anecdotal. You & Your Baby 2020 will help us to explore women’s experiences in more depth to inform policy and improve care’.
Professor Fiona Alderdice added ‘There are concerns that increased anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation and changes to how care is delivered, will impact on maternal health, well-being and early parenting. Our survey is completed at six months after birth providing valuable information on a range of important physical, psychological and social outcomes.’
You & Your Baby is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme, conducted through the Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care (PRU-MNHC).