{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T14:23:06Z","timestamp":1773930186539,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759968000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Pregnant women were one of the most exposed and vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. While much is known about the general effects of the pandemic on pregnant women\u2019s well-being, little research has focused on the experiences of women who gave birth while infected with SARS-CoV-2.<\/jats:p>\n<jats:p>The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of women who gave birth while being ill with COVID-19.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This is a qualitative study utilising a phenomenological reflective lifeworld approach to explore the lived experiences of Swedish women (n\u2009=\u200910) who gave birth while ill with COVID-19 between April 2020 and May 2021.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The essence of the women\u2019s experiences was described as \u2018Reclaiming motherhood through shame, distance, and gratitude,\u2019 supported by four constituents: \u201cfeeling intense shame and guilt for getting infected\u201d,\u201d striving to overcome distance in the birth setting\u201d, \u201cexperiencing gratitude for receiving compassionate care\u201d and \u201ctrying to comprehend motherhood and fighting to be reunited\u201d.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A nuanced understanding of the experience at the intersection between childbirth, illness and the societal context is imperative for healthcare professionals and society to provide optimal care for one of the most vulnerable groups during pandemics, pregnant women and their newborns.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0333937","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T17:25:02Z","timestamp":1760030702000},"page":"e0333937","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Reclaiming motherhood through shame, distance, and gratitude\u2014A phenomenological study of Swedish women\u2019s lived experiences of giving birth while ill with COVID-19"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1497-1205","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Maria","family":"Revelj","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Wessberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1414-7279","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ylva","family":"Carlsson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8607-9220","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Maria","family":"Lindqvist","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Verena","family":"Sengpiel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2792-3142","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Karolina","family":"Linden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0333937.ref001","article-title":"Parental experiences with changes in maternity care during the Covid-19 pandemic: A mixed-studies systematic review","author":"JG Lalor","year":"2022","journal-title":"Women Birth"},{"key":"pone.0333937.ref002","article-title":"Being in the shadow of the unknown - 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