Different Perspectives on the Challenges and/or Negativities that Caregivers Face

Background: During the gestation period, the pregnant woman needs attention directed mainly to her needs and care until the moment of delivery, where the challenges faced by her companion as a caregiver, whether a family member, health personnel, specialist or herself, are diverse in order to carry out the development of the fetus and the health of the mother.

Objective: The objective of the research is to argue the challenges and/or negativities faced by the caregiver in charge of the care of the pregnant woman.

Material and Methods: An observational and descriptive study was carried out focused on understanding the challenges faced by the caregiver in the pregnant woman, which made it possible to characterize the object of study.

Results: The impact that caregivers have on the different levels of health, the diversity of their needs and the challenges faced by them at each stage of care.

Conclusions: The presence of the caregiver is important, due to its direct implication for the health and social consequences of the pregnant woman in facing the different difficulties of the pregnancy period and access to different prenatal care and guidance, successfully reaching the end of her pregnancy

The caregiver plays a crucial role during pregnancy, not only in terms of physical and emotional support, but also as a facilitator of the health and well-being of both mother and baby. Caregivers can take many forms, from family members and friends to health professionals and emotional support specialists, while self-care is an important factor in achieving optimal health. Since the caregiver is the main mediator of the health-wellbeing relationship of the pregnant woman, he/she also faces the conflicts and problems that may develop during the gestation period, helping the pregnant mother during this journey, highlighting the importance of his/her presence during this period, as well as the challenges he/she faces in fulfilling his/her role. In this sense, during the gestation period of a woman, many physical, emotional and social changes occur which, for the most part, require the support of a person to be able to meet and supply her needs, creating a safe environment that promotes a positive and healthy experience. Accordingly, the caregiver works in collaboration with the mother, family members and health professionals to develop a personalized care plan that meets the specific needs of the pregnant woman, guaranteeing the health and well-being of the person who performs the caregiver role (in the case of the partner or family members) during this period of pregnancy. In parallel to this, the caregiver sometimes has moments or stages in which he or she may encounter obstacles, negative situations or problems that may exceed his or her capacity for action, affecting his or her own health or well-being, as well as that of the pregnant woman. For this reason, the objective of the following research is to discuss the challenges and/or negativities faced by the caregiver in charge of caring for the pregnant woman.

An observational and descriptive study was conducted to address the challenges faced by caregivers in providing care to pregnant women. Theoretical and empirical methods were used to characterize the object of study.

Development

Challenges and/or negativities that come with being a caregiver

The caregiver presents a multidisciplinary compendium of utmost importance, he or she may encounter occasions, moments or stages in which he or she may encounter obstacles, negative situations or problems that may exceed his or her capacity for action, affecting his or her own health or well-being, as well as that of the pregnant woman, whether due to fatigue, abandonment, loss, lack of motivation, lack of knowledge and/or abandonment of his or her own person.

Challenges facing the caregiver

In this sense, it is generally noted that these challenges or situations, problems develop in an expected, unexpected, or occasioned manner or through abandonment, of which there is evidence, such as:

Physical and emotional burden: Supporting a pregnant woman can be physically and emotionally demanding. Managing your own emotions, while providing ongoing support to the pregnant woman.

• Role conflicts: Caregivers may have to balance their caregiving responsibilities with other obligations, such as work and family care.
• Lack of support: Caregivers may feel isolated or overwhelmed, especially if they do not have the support of other caregivers or health professionals.
• Sense of personal neglect: Caregivers may display a lack of physical or emotional presence by focusing only on the person in their care.
• Lack of understanding: There may be a lack of mutual understanding between the caregiver and the pregnant woman, as well as with the health personnel.
• Demoralized: The caregiver may lose interest in continuing to provide support due to constant moments of stress, lack of understanding as a person and/or not having their opinion taken into account.
• Changing needs: having to adapt to the dynamic needs of the pregnant woman throughout the pregnancy.
• The challenges faced by caregivers are complex and require a deep understanding of the needs of the pregnant woman. Lack of support can have long-lasting negative impacts, so it is crucial to recognize and value the caregiver's role.

From the perspective of health personnel

In the area of health and medical care, many challenges and limitations can be encountered, where the role of caregiver of health workers has to be overcome many times with difficulty, being an increasing burden of the same already existing problems, such as:

• Workload: Health care staff often have a heavy workload, which can make it difficult to provide individualized care to each pregnant woman.
• Lack of resources: Health systems may lack the resources needed to provide comprehensive support to pregnant women, especially in underserved areas.
• Communication barriers: Language or cultural barriers can make it difficult to communicate effectively with pregnant women.
• Complex cases: Specialists often handle complex and challenging cases that require a high level of experience and skill.
• Emotional burden: Working with pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies can be emotionally demanding.
• Time constraints: Specialists often have large patient loads, which can make it difficult to provide individualized care to each pregnant woman.
• Presenting personal problems or exhaustion due to work overload, which often results in low quality of care provided.

From the perspective of the pregnant woman

In some cases, the future mother may find herself as a social case, with no one to lean on or help her in her social environment, or she may be abandoned by her family or partner during this period; in addition, the pregnant woman may present health problems acquired or not during pregnancy, not counting the same difficulties that are acquired during pregnancy itself, diminishing the quality and health of the mother; to which we can highlight:

• Isolation of the pregnant woman: Without the support of her partner, the pregnant woman may feel isolated and less understood, which can increase stress and affect her well-being.
• Impact on Relationship: Lack of support from your partner can affect the dynamics of your relationship and the shared experience of pregnancy.
• Increased Challenges: The absence of a partner can intensify emotional and practical challenges, making the surrogate more dependent on other family members or professional support systems.
• Increased Stress and Anxiety: The lack of family support can lead to increased stress and anxiety in the pregnant woman, which can have negative effects on her health and that of the baby.
• Nausea and vomiting: Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can make it difficult to maintain a healthy diet and participate in physical activities.
• Fatigue: Fatigue during pregnancy can make it difficult to find time and energy for self-care.
• Social and economic barriers: Social and economic barriers, such as lack of access to healthy foods or exercise facilities, can make it difficult to practice self-care.
• Morbid illnesses: when the pregnant woman has health problems during pregnancy such as: diabetes, hypertension, anemia, infections and cardiovascular problems.

The Greatest Difficulty in the Caregiver

We call major difficulties or problems those problems that we find present between caregivers and the pregnant woman that affect their daily life, by which we refer to:

From the position of the caregiver in general.

• Caregiver syndrome: refers to those people who suffer physical, psychological and general health wear and tear from the constant and continued care of a patient (usually Alzheimer's, although it can be due to any other illness, usually chronic, mental, or old age care).
• Authoritarianism: This may manifest itself in a tendency to strictly control or direct the pregnant woman, which can generate tension and stress for both the mother and the caregiver.
• Denial: Some caregivers may deny or minimize the risks or needs of the pregnant woman, which can lead to a lack of adequate support and the omission of important care.
• Overprotection: Although well-intentioned, overprotection can limit the autonomy of the pregnant woman and affect her ability to make informed decisions about her own care

From the couple's point of view, the biggest problem is centered on

• Poor communication: lack of open and effective dialogue about pregnancy expectations and experiences.
• Emotional conflicts: stress and tensions arising from changes in the relationship and family dynamics.
• Lack of understanding: difficulty in understanding and comprehending the physical and emotional changes of the pregnant woman.

The greatest difficulties affecting the family are

• Overload: Excess of responsibilities and stress on family members who act as caregivers.
• Family Dynamics: changes in family relationships and roles within the home.
• Family overprotection: the pregnant woman may feel limitations that restrict her ability to face challenges and develop properly, ending in total dependency.
• Religious beliefs and norms: Depending on the interpretation, family religiosity can be an emotional support or a source of pressure that can affect health care decisions.
• Religious dilemma: Practice based on religious beliefs may contradict the actions that the pregnant woman must take to ensure that she receives adequate scientific medical care.

From the point of view of health personnel, the greatest difficulty is

• Non-compliance: failure to follow medical recommendations or established care plans
• Abuse: poor practices or negligence in the care of the pregnant woman by health professionals

The greatest difficulty for pregnant women is

• Self-care: Lack of attention to your own health and well-being
• Carelessness: maintaining lifestyles and vices that are harmful to one's own health, not following medical instructions or maternity guidance, resulting in harm to the health of the fetus.
• Abandonment: feeling alone or neglected by your partner, family or caregivers.
• Psychological pressure: anxiety and depression caused by pregnancy and lack of adequate support.

The total absence of the caregiver is a challenge for society

Lack of social support brings about variations in people's quality of life; for example, the effects of the absence of social support on pregnancy complications. Social support is important for adaptation to parenthood; women who have a partner as social support present less stress and anxiety, and the perception about the birth of the baby and the maternal role is higher in women who have social support. The absence of a caregiver can have significant consequences for the pregnant woman. Lack of support can lead to increased levels of anxiety and stress, which can negatively affect both mother and baby. The pregnant woman may feel isolated and overwhelmed by the physical and emotional changes she is experiencing, and without a caregiver, it may be more difficult for her to access the information and resources necessary for a healthy pregnancy. This may have a direct implication for the health and social consequences of the pregnant woman in coping with the different difficulties of the pregnancy period and access to different prenatal care and guidance when it comes to delivery. These may be due to: lack of a partner or family available or willing to provide support; abusive or unhealthy relationships; geographic or financial barriers; stigma or discrimination associated with pregnancy; lack of access to health services and social support.

A mosaic of relationships and responsibilities is recognized from the caregiver's role with a view from the couple, as a constant companion, offering a love that strengthens and comforts; the family, with its unbreakable bonds, provides a safe refuge and unconditional support; the health personnel, with their knowledge and compassion, guide the path to a healthy pregnancy and birth. And no less important, the pregnant woman, who, in her role of self-care, becomes the first and most essential caregiver of her own well-being and of the being to be born. Each of these has proven to be a fundamental pillar in the gestation process, contributing their uniqueness to the common well-being. The challenges identified are not minor, but neither is the resilience and commitment shown by each caregiver. The absence of any of them is not only felt, but resonates in the very core of maternal care; the integration of efforts deserves to be recognized and strengthened.

Declaration of conflict of interest and ethical conflicts

The authors declare that this manuscript is original, does not contain elements classified or restricted for disclosure or for the institution in which it was produced, and has not been previously published, nor is it being reviewed by another publisher. The authors are responsible for the content contained in the article and there are no plagiarisms, conflicts of interest or ethics in it.

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