ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - A Lindenwood University researcher who was pregnant during the pandemic, wants to hear about other women's experiences. Like many expectant mothers, Katie Shoff had to navigate through doctor office and hospital restrictions. Shoff tells KMOX there were also silver linings, "my husband having a long time home with me because we were working from home."
Shoff is Associate Professor of Public Health at Lindenwood. She hopes talking to other women about their experience with a pandemic pregnancy will help other expectant mothers. "We want to really be able to understand people's stress, recognizing that this might not be the only pandemic, or community event that we experience." Shoff says what they learn may even influence future policies for flexible work schedules or health regulations.
"The world's just been so different for everybody, whether you're pregnant or not," says research partner Amanda Harrod, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Lindenwood University. Harrod says they'll be looking at whether those stressors were heightened or different for women during pregnancy and birth. "I do know that some women had to cancel baby showers. These big monumental things that you want to happen, maybe don't get to happen."
"Women might have wanted to have their mother at the birth but were unable to," offers Shoff. "Or they maybe were limited in how much care they could have come to their house afterward."
Shoff and Herrod were originally hoping to talk to 30 women for their study. Within minutes of posting a request on social media, they were contacted by nearly 50 women. They hope to release their report next year.
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