Being by myself and believing in us: the experience of pregnancy and childbirth during an intimate partner's military deployment

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy and childbirth are life-altering events. For military families, pregnancy and childbirth can occur in tandem with the family's experience of a military deployment. The central issue is that an overseas deployment of an intimate partner introduces unique stressors and responsibilities that can challenge a pregnancy and increase the risk of preterm delivery and postpartum depression. The objective of this study was to extend current understanding, from the perspective of women in Canadian military families of how pregnancy and childbirth are experienced during an intimate partner's military deployment and of how supports and resources shaped the experience. Methods: This study was conducted in eastern Canada by interviewing women in Canadian military families who had experienced pregnancy or childbirth during an intimate partner's deployment in the past two to five years. Valid consent for confidential participation and demographic information were collected prior to the interviews. A descriptive phenomenological approach allowed for women's stories to be explored and for the over-arching theme ‘being by myself and believing in us’ to be uncovered. Results: The meaning of the experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and deployment was both integrated and opposing. Women experienced simultaneously “being by myself,” physically alone or in a world that did not understand their experience, and “believing in us,” the possibility of having a child, of a partner's return, and of becoming a family. Sub-themes that provided further understanding of the experience included: working it out time wise, longing for togetherness, appreciating technology, protecting us, knowing that somebody is there, and homecoming. Discussion: The implications of this study include laying a foundation for future research and guiding improvements for supportive perinatal care.