DEPLOYMENTS AND PREGNANCY By: Caroline Hale and Kate Abbate Deployments are hard for families with or without children, and they can become even more difficult when pregnancy is an added factor (no matter how excited you may be!). Ideally during pregnancy, families can spend most of their time together. However, that’s not the reality for many military families due to the demands of the military lifestyle. In addition, pregnancy comes with its own challenges – hormonal changes, financial stressors, and more. When deployment is added on top of the pregnancy, challenges can quickly pileup and be difficult to manage. We will share information about these challenges and provide resources to assist you with navigating them. Effects of Deployment During Pregnancy When the expectant parent, or their partner, is deployed, it can lead to a challenging pregnancy. Two common outcomes related to prenatal deployment (i.e., when a spouse is pregnant during deployment) are stress and depression. Listed below are a set of facts that provide information about the links between military service, pregnancy, stress, and depression. Did you know: - Active Duty pregnant Service members experience more stress compared to their civilian counterparts? - Mothers with children already at home are likely to have increased stress during their current pregnancy? - Throughout the pregnancy, mothers are likely to experience elevated stress when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? - Mothers are more likely of having a preterm delivery when their partners are deployed? - Mothers are 3x more likely to experience postpartum depression when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? Helpful Resources The information mentioned above may seem daunting; however, there are several ways you can reduce the likelihood of these outcomes from occurring. The suggestions below range from in-person to online options. The goal is to provide you with a range of options that will best fit your lifestyle. You can: - Participate in classes or counseling services focused on stress and depression management, - Participate in parenting educational support programs like the Family Foundations Program whose goal/mission is to assist families with transitioning to parenthood, - Utilize specific resources targeted towards parents whose partners are deployed, - Explore and utilize the pregnancy-related resources offered through Military OneSource, a freely accessible website to Service members and their families, and - Use social media to find a supportive network of people who may be experiencing, or have experienced, a similar situation. You can start your search on social media with terms like “prenatal deployment” and “military families.” Each of these resources address a different challenge associated with pregnancy when an expectant parent or their partner are deployed. In addition to these resources, be sure to surround yourself with ample support from friends and family during your pregnancy, which can make a world of difference in the outcomes of your pregnancy!

Hale, Caroline

DEPLOYMENTS AND PREGNANCY By: Caroline Hale and Kate Abbate Deployments are hard for families with or without children, and they can become even more difficult when pregnancy is an added factor (no matter how excited you may be!). Ideally during pregnancy, families can spend most of their time together. However, that’s not the reality for many military families due to the demands of the military lifestyle. In addition, pregnancy comes with its own challenges – hormonal changes, financial stressors, and more. When deployment is added on top of the pregnancy, challenges can quickly pileup and be difficult to manage. We will share information about these challenges and provide resources to assist you with navigating them. Effects of Deployment During Pregnancy When the expectant parent, or their partner, is deployed, it can lead to a challenging pregnancy. Two common outcomes related to prenatal deployment (i.e., when a spouse is pregnant during deployment) are stress and depression. Listed below are a set of facts that provide information about the links between military service, pregnancy, stress, and depression. Did you know: - Active Duty pregnant Service members experience more stress compared to their civilian counterparts? - Mothers with children already at home are likely to have increased stress during their current pregnancy? - Throughout the pregnancy, mothers are likely to experience elevated stress when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? - Mothers are more likely of having a preterm delivery when their partners are deployed? - Mothers are 3x more likely to experience postpartum depression when their partners are deployed compared to mothers whose partners are not deployed? Helpful Resources The information mentioned above may seem daunting; however, there are several ways you can reduce the likelihood of these outcomes from occurring. The suggestions below range from in-person to online options. The goal is to provide you with a range of options that will best fit your lifestyle. You can: - Participate in classes or counseling services focused on stress and depression management, - Participate in parenting educational support programs like the Family Foundations Program whose goal/mission is to assist families with transitioning to parenthood, - Utilize specific resources targeted towards parents whose partners are deployed, - Explore and utilize the pregnancy-related resources offered through Military OneSource, a freely accessible website to Service members and their families, and - Use social media to find a supportive network of people who may be experiencing, or have experienced, a similar situation. You can start your search on social media with terms like “prenatal deployment” and “military families.” Each of these resources address a different challenge associated with pregnancy when an expectant parent or their partner are deployed. In addition to these resources, be sure to surround yourself with ample support from friends and family during your pregnancy, which can make a world of difference in the outcomes of your pregnancy!

Family Story

https://militaryreach.auburn.edu//ffDeploymentsAndPregnancy.jsp

Tarney, C. M., Berry-Caban, C., Jain, R. B., Kelly, M., Sewell, M. F., & Wilson, K. L. (2015). Association of spouse deployment on pregnancy outcomes in a U.S. Military population. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 126(3), 569-574. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001003

Relationships between spousal deployment, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were examined via chart review and surveys of 397 pregnant women. Pregnant women with a deployed spouse had a greater risk of preterm delivery and postpartum depression than women whose husbands were not deployed during pregnancy. No significant findings were found between the deployed and non-deployed groups regarding neonatal outcomes (e.g., birth weight).

https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000001003

Couples
Deployment
Mental health
Other
Physical health

Army

Active Duty

Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran

Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)

Quantitative Study
Empirical Study

Tarney, Christopher M., Berry-Caban, Cristobal, Jain, Ram B., Kelly, Molly, Sewell, Mark F., Wilson, Karen L.

Objective: To evaluate the association of spousal deployment during the antenatal period on maternal and neonatal outcomes and to estimate whether group prenatal care may be beneficial in reducing adverse outcomes when spouses are deployed. Methods: Primigravid women who delivered at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were prospectively enrolled and selected for participation on a random basis between January 2013 and January 2014. Women whose spouses were deployed to a combat zone during the entire pregnancy (deployed group) were compared with women whose spouses were not deployed during the pregnancy (nondeployed group). Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Three hundred ninety-seven women were enrolled with 183 (46.1%) in the deployed group and 214 (53.9%) in the nondeployed group. Spouse deployment was associated with increased risk of preterm delivery (38 [20.8%] compared with 16 [7.5%], P<.001) and postpartum depression (30 [16.4%] compared with 13 [6.1%], P=.001) when compared with women in the nondeployed group. There were no differences in the incidence of preterm delivery and postpartum depression for women in the deployed group who participated in group prenatal care when compared with women participating in traditional care (preterm delivery 6 [14.6%] compared with 32 [22.5%], P=.38; postpartum depression 4 [9.8%] compared with 26 [18.3%], P=.24). Conclusion: Women who have a spouse deployed during their pregnancy are at increased risk for preterm birth and postpartum depression. Larger studies are needed to evaluate whether spouse deployment during pregnancy has other perinatal effects and whether group prenatal care may have a positive effect on adverse perinatal outcomes in this population. Level Of Evidence: II.

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Article
REACH Publication

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, CMT
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, CBC
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, RBJ
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, MK
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, MFS
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Research, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Womack Army Medical Center, KLW