A health crisis revealing a deeper crisis within the profession. The case of hospital midwives in Île-de-France during the COVID-19 pandemic
Schantz, Clémence
A health crisis revealing a deeper crisis within the profession. The case of hospital midwives in Île-de-France during the COVID-19 pandemic - 2025.
90
Introduction: The health crisis triggered by the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals to reorganize, disrupting health care professionals’ practices. Maternity wards and the midwives working there were not spared from these changes. Purpose: The MATER-Covid19 study analyzed the impact of the pandemic on the experiences of midwives who supported women who gave birth since the start of the crisis. The aim was to highlight the impact of the pandemic on their medical practices as well as their daily lives at home. To this end, as part of a qualitative research project, we conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with hospital midwives in the Île-de-France region. Results: Midwives’ experiences during the pandemic were marked by contrasting emotions. Some reported intense “excitement” in facing an unprecedented situation, while others were deeply affected by “fear” in their daily work. The health crisis undermined the mental well-being of many and revealed a broader sense of distress. The renewed public debate about obstetric violence during this period exacerbated the distress of some health care personnel and highlighted a deeper structural crisis in France. Conclusions: Midwives’ experiences during the pandemic were varied. The health crisis reignited the controversy surrounding obstetric violence and revealed the profession’s current state of crisis.
A health crisis revealing a deeper crisis within the profession. The case of hospital midwives in Île-de-France during the COVID-19 pandemic - 2025.
90
Introduction: The health crisis triggered by the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals to reorganize, disrupting health care professionals’ practices. Maternity wards and the midwives working there were not spared from these changes. Purpose: The MATER-Covid19 study analyzed the impact of the pandemic on the experiences of midwives who supported women who gave birth since the start of the crisis. The aim was to highlight the impact of the pandemic on their medical practices as well as their daily lives at home. To this end, as part of a qualitative research project, we conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with hospital midwives in the Île-de-France region. Results: Midwives’ experiences during the pandemic were marked by contrasting emotions. Some reported intense “excitement” in facing an unprecedented situation, while others were deeply affected by “fear” in their daily work. The health crisis undermined the mental well-being of many and revealed a broader sense of distress. The renewed public debate about obstetric violence during this period exacerbated the distress of some health care personnel and highlighted a deeper structural crisis in France. Conclusions: Midwives’ experiences during the pandemic were varied. The health crisis reignited the controversy surrounding obstetric violence and revealed the profession’s current state of crisis.
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