State of Postpartum Survey

This survey is for people who have given birth at least once during the past 5 years. DO NOT TAKE THIS SURVEY IF THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU. In answering these survey questions, please think about your most recent birth experience. If you did not have a partner at the time of your birth, please skip all questions that mention your partner. If you and your partner ended your relationship after the birth, then please answer questions with your postpartum relationship in mind. For example, if your partner abandoned you and your child, you can put that they did no parenting. But if they split parenting time, put that they did 50%

Question Title

* 1. How many times have you given birth in the last 5 years?

Question Title

* 2. What happened to your baby after birth?

My baby came home with me. Please check this answer even if there was a delay or your baby had a NICU stay.

I put my baby up for adoption.

My baby did not survive birth.

My baby died shortly after birth.

Question Title

* 3. Did you have a partner--married, living together, or dating-- with whom you planned to parent at the time of the birth? If your answer is no, please skip all questions that mention your partner.

Yes

Question Title

* 4. What happened to your relationship in the 6 months following the birth of your child?

We stayed together.

They left me.

I left them.

Question Title

* 5. How much time off of work did your partner take following the birth of your child?

My partner does not work outside the home.

Less than 1 week.

Less than 2 weeks.

2-4 weeks.

4-8 weeks.

8-12 weeks.

12 weeks+

My partner did not take any time off.

Question Title

* 6. Was your partner paid for their time off of work following the birth of your child? Please skip this question if your partner does not work, or did not take any time off.

Yes

Yes, but not at their full rate, or only for a portion of their time off.

Question Title

* 7. How much time did you take off of work following the birth of your child?

I do not work outside of the home.

Less than 1 week.

Less than 2 weeks.

2-4 weeks.

4-8 weeks.

8-12 weeks.

12+ weeks.

Question Title

* 8. Were you paid for your time off of work following the birth of your child?

Yes

Yes, but at less than my usual rate or not for all of the time I took off.

Question Title

* 9. Did your partner suffer any discrimination or other personal consequences because of your pregnancy or postpartum recovery? If yes, please explain. If not, please skip.

Question Title

* 10. Did you suffer any professional consequences or discrimination because of your pregnancy or postpartum recovery? If yes, please explain. If not, please skip.

Question Title

* 11. How long do you feel it took you to recover physically from giving birth?

Less than 2 weeks

2-4 weeks

4-8 weeks

8-12 weeks

3-6 months

6-12 months

12 months+

Question Title

* 12. How long do you feel it took you to recover emotionally from giving birth?

Less than 2 weeks

2-4 weeks

4-8 weeks

8-12 weeks

3-6 months

6-12 months

12 months+

Question Title

* 13. How supportive, based on your own definition of the word, was your spouse during the time that you gave birth?

My partner actively undermined me.

My partner was not supportive.

My partner was mostly unsupportive.

My partner was somewhat supportive.

My partner was very supportive.

My partner was not present.

Question Title

* 14. In the 2 weeks after you gave birth, did your partner do any of the following?

Yell at you

Call you names

Demand that you do labor for them, such as make them food

Hit you

Demand sex

Force you to have sex with them

Demean or mock your emotions

Suggest you lose weight

Question Title

* 15. In the 6 months after you gave birth, did your partner do any of the following?

Yell at you

Call you names

Demand that you do labor for them, such as make them food

Hit you

Demand sex

Force you to have sex with them

Demean or mock your emotions

Suggest you lose weight

Question Title

* 16. Is there anything you think I should know about your partner's behavior while you gave birth, or in the 2 weeks following your birth?

Question Title

* 17. In the 2 weeks following your birth, which of these behaviors did your partner engage in, if any?

Spending time with the baby so you could rest

Making you food

Talking to you about your birth

Offering physical, non-sexual affection such as massages

Helping you with self-care tasks, such as setting up a sitz bath

Taking care of the baby at night

Question Title

* 18. When you were pregnant, what portion of household labor did your partner do? Household labor is all work required to run your house--cleaning, paying bills, planning, buying food, meal preparation, caring for pets, setting up the baby's nursery, sending thank-you notes for baby gifts, emotional labor, etc.

None

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 19. Does your partner work for pay?

Yes, full-time

Yes, part-time

Question Title

* 20. Do you work for pay?

Yes, full-time

Yes, part-time

Question Title

* 21. Parenting is defined as being directly responsible for the care of a child, as well as the labor necessary to care for a child, such as learning about parenting, scheduling doctor's appointments, etc. If you did not have children when you were pregnant, please skip this question.

When you were pregnant, what portion of parenting did your partner do?

All

0-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 22. In the two weeks following your birth, how much household labor--chores, cooking, meal preparation, emotional labor, etc.--did your partner do?

None

0-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 23. Parenting is defined as being directly responsible for the care of a child, as well as the labor necessary to care for a child, such as learning about parenting, scheduling doctor's appointments, etc.

In the two weeks following your birth, how much parenting--of your newborn and of any other children--did your partner do?

None

0-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 24. In the 6 months following the birth of your child. how much household labor did your partner do?

All

0-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 25. In the 6 months following your child's birth, how much parenting did your partner do?

None

0-10%

10-20%

20-30%

30-40%

40-50%

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Question Title

* 26. What is your gender identity?

woman

man

non-binary

other

Question Title

* 27. What is your partner's gender identity?

woman

man

non-binary

other

Question Title

* 28. How much sex would you estimate you and your partner had monthly between the time sex became safe for you and 6 months postpartum?

None

Once monthly

Twice monthly

3-4 times/month

5-6 times/month

7+ times/month

Question Title

* 29. Tell me about your mental health in the first 6 months following childbirth. Select all that are true.

I had baby blues shortly after the baby was born.

I had some depression symptoms.

I had some anxiety.

I was diagnosed with postpartum depression, or think a doctor would have diagnosed me.

I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety, or think a doctor would have diagnosed me.

Question Title

* 30. If you had postpartum mental health issues, were there any factors in your lifestyle, environment, or marriage that you believe contributed? If so, please tell me about them.

Question Title

* 31. If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you choose your partner again?

Yes

Question Title

* 32. If you are married, and had the chance to do it all over again, would you get married again?

Yes

Question Title

* 33. Did you experience thoughts of suicide or self-harm in the 6 month following the birth of your child?

yes, occasionally

yes, but I never thought of following through with them.

yes, and I hurt myself.

yes, and I attempted suicide.

Question Title

* 34. In the 3 months following the birth of your child, how many times per night, on average, did you get up with the baby?

Question Title

* 35. In the 3 months following the birth of your child, how many times per night did your partner get up with the baby, on average?

Question Title

* 36. Would you describe your birth as traumatic?

Yes

Question Title

* 37. How much did you pay in medical bills to have your baby? Include all care, including prenatal, birth, hospital fees, etc.? If you have been billed but have not paid the bill, please select the amount of the bill.

Nothing

Less than $500

$500-$1,000

$1,000-$2,000

$2,000-$5,000

$5,000-$10,000

$10,000-$15,000

$15,000-$20,000

$20,000-$30,000

$30,000-$40,000

$40,000-$50,000

$50,000+

Question Title

* 38. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being terrible and 10 being perfect, how would you rate the quality of prenatal and childbirth care you received?

Clear

i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

Question Title

* 39. Where did you give birth?

hospital

home

out of hospital birthing center

somewhere else (like a surprise birth in a car)

multiple locations because my needs changed (for example, you transitioned from a homebirth to a hospital birth)

Question Title

* 40. Did your partner get you flowers, a push present, or any other gift surrounding the birth?

Yes

Question Title

* 41. Is there anything else you would like to share about your postpartum experience?

Question Title

* 42. If you struggled with postpartum mental health, did you ask anyone for help? Check all that apply. Please skip if you did not ask anyone for help.

yes, my spouse

yes, my friends or family.

yes, my doula

yes, my midwife or OB

yes, my therapist

Question Title

* 43. If you had postpartum mental health issues, do you feel your spouse or partner cared or took them seriously?

no, not at all.

mostly not

yes, somewhat

yes, completely

Question Title

* 44. If you asked for help with postpartum mental health issues, did you get the help you needed? Please skip if you did not ask for help.

Yes

Question Title

* 45. If you had postpartum mental health issues, did you get any treatment? Check all that apply. Please skip this question if it is not relevant to you.

Yes, I took medication.

Yes, I was hospitalized.

Yes, I joined a support group.

Yes, I had therapy.

Yes, I chose some other treatment.

No, I did not get any treatment.

Question Title

* 46. If you sought treatment for postpartum mental health issues, do you feel that treatment was helpful?

Yes, somewhat.

Yes, completely.

No, not at all.

Question Title

* 47. If you had postpartum mental health issues, is there anything you needed that you did not get that would have helped? Please describe.

Question Title

* 48. If you described your birth as traumatic, please explain why.

Question Title

* 49. During childbirth, did anything happen to which you did not consent? For example, did a doctor or midwife force or coerce you into a procedure when you said no? (Note that lack of consent is not the same as having to deviate from your birth plan).

Yes