- Vandenberg, C., Hanson, E., Tidwell, A., Cooper, E., Sjolseth, S., O’Neal, C. W., & Lucier-Greer, M. (2024). Pregnancy in the military context: Pregnancy and postpartum experiences among servicewomen and civilian spouses of service members. Auburn, AL: Military REACH.
- This report was created to support the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) in its understanding of the perinatal1 experiences of Servicewomen and the civilian spouses of Service members (henceforth, civilian spouses). The report is presented in four sections. Section 1 presents 4 key takeaways pertaining to the perinatal experiences of Servicewomen based on a synthesis of recent empirical research and reports, primarily published between 2020-2024. These takeaways include: 1. Pregnant Servicewomen often accommodate anticipated stereotypes to demonstrate equal contribution to their units, which can lead to internalized stigma and unhealthy coping. 2. The demands of pregnancy and parenthood can delay career progression for Servicewomen and sometimes fuel their decision to separate from the military. 3. Emotional support and social connections are important for pregnant and postpartum Servicewomen’s sense of belonging, but support varies across units and contexts. 4. Servicewomen face institutional and psychosocial barriers to receiving military-provided perinatal care, which can result in delayed services. Section 2 presents research findings specific to pregnant and postpartum civilian spouses. It focuses primarily on perinatal mental health challenges and the implications of spousal deployment during pregnancy. Stigma (internal and external) and practical and logistical concerns can be barriers to help-seeking for civilian spouses. Having a support network through the perinatal period tends to improve civilian spouses’ well-being. Section 3 reviews empirical evidence regarding the effect of select policies and programs intended to support women and families (e.g., policies regarding maternity leave, parental leave, and fitness testing, and programs that build skills and community). Evaluations of these collective resources are limited, but policies and programs that provide structured benefits and build social support throughout the perinatal period appear to demonstrate promising benefits. Note: There are evidence-based programs and policies available to women and their families not covered in this report, because evidence of their impact is currently unknown or not publicly available. Section 4 offers a review of potential leverage points to improve the experiences of Servicewomen and civilian spouses. Next steps for researchers involve expanding our understanding of the experiences of minoritized women in the military (e.g., LGBTQ+ families, racial minorities), dual-military families, and families located outside the continental United States, along with the implications of pregnancy beyond physical health and work-related outcomes (e.g., family relationships).
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Research summaries convey terminology used by the scientists who authored the original research article; some terminology may not align with the federal government's mandated language for certain constructs.