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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns triggered social discontent on an unprecedented scale. Descriptive phenomenological studies showed that pregnant women were under intense stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of whether they caught the virus. The purpose of this study was to report on the experiences of pregnant women affected by a mild Covid-19 infection during the first wave of the pandemic.Methods: In this non-interventional qualitative study, we analyzed pregnant women’s experiences using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with women who had experienced a mild COVID-19 infection during their pregnancy, and gave birth or planned to give birth in the maternity units affiliated with Sorbonne University in Paris, France.Results: Participants reported that, when they were infected with COVID-19, they were not afraid of being seriously ill but of transmitting the virus to their close relatives. Their main concern was being pregnant and becoming a parent in a social environment that had been profoundly altered by the pandemic. Their concerns included uncertainty about the future and an acute feeling of isolation related to lockdown. The idea that their partner might not be allowed to attend childbirth was almost unanimously considered unbearable. By contrast, the women interviewed reflected positively on the fact that lockdown had resulted in a de facto paternity leave, leading to a certain degree of equality in the couple regarding childcare and household chores. Unexpectedly, the pandemic’s social distancing measures helped participants to escape from behavioral constraints, including the unspoken rule that they should welcome visits from friends and family, despite being exhausted by the recent birth.Conclusions: Our results suggest that avoiding pregnant women’s separation from their partner is key to compassionate medical care for pregnant women during health crises. The unexpected benefits women reported during lockdown shed new light on their expectations of parenthood today.