Associations Among Pregnancy Stress, Childbirth Confidence, and COVID-19 Infection Experience in Pregnant Women in the Early Third Trimester (28–32 Weeks)

Purpose: This study explored the psychological readiness of pregnant women in the early third trimester by analyzing variations in pregnancy-related stress and childbirth confidence based on general and obstetric characteristics. This study also examined the relationship between psychological factors and the experiences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: A descriptive study involving 137 women between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation was performed. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 28.0, with independent t-tests, 1-way analysis of variance, and Spearman correlation.Results: The mean score for pregnancy-related stress was 35.91±8.72, while that for childbirth confidence was 37.78±9.11. Significant differences were identified in both psychological variables, depending on age, presence of obstetric complications, level of physical activity, and use of prenatal supplements. A significant negative correlation was observed between pregnancy-related stress and childbirth confidence (r=-0.029, p<0.001). Among the general characteristics, COVID-19 experiences demonstrated significant associations with pregnancy stress. Specifically, stress levels were positively correlated with prior COVID-19 infection before pregnancy (r=0.19, p=0.024) and with a family member’s infection during pregnancy (r=0.29, p<0.001).Conclusion: These findings indicate that pregnancy-related stress and childbirth confidence are influenced by various individual and obstetric factors. The COVID-19 infection experience was particularly associated with elevated stress levels. Tailored interventions that address both psychological distress and confidence-building are required to enhance maternal emotional preparedness in the third trimester.