COVID-19 has impacted all levels of daily life for people everywhere, with particularly serious implications for pregnant women. This paper examines the COVID-19-related childbirth anxiety (CCA) of Israeli women in the first two waves of the pandemic. We first present two psychotherapeutic case studies with pregnant women in the two waves. This is followed by an empirical study that compared the contribution of background variables, psychological distress, economic concerns, and personal resources to CCA in two samples, Wave 1, March–April 2020 (n = 403) and Wave 2, September–October 2020 (n = 1401), and two subpopulations, Jewish and Arab women. Findings reveal that CCA was significantly lower in Wave 2 than in Wave 1. Furthermore, poorer health, higher education, being an Arab, later gestational week, at-risk pregnancy, wave, higher psychological distress, greater economic concerns, and lower self-compassion contributed to higher childbirth anxiety. Wave moderated the association between optimism and anxiety. The findings of the empirical study, together with insights from the case studies, provide evidence of a decrease in CCA later in the crisis, and indicate the significance of resources for coping with the psychological implications of the pandemic. Moreover, they suggest the importance of empowering self-reliance techniques, such as self-compassion, which was significantly associated with lower anxiety, above and beyond the background and psychological variables. Clinical Impact Statement: Using both psychotherapeutic cases and empirical findings, this study points to the risk and resilience factors that contributed to pregnant women’s COVID-19-related childbirth anxiety (CCA) in the first two waves of the pandemic. The study suggests that CCA was higher in the first wave, as well as among women from a minority group. At the same time, the research shows that resilience resources of optimism and self-compassion contributed to the reduction of anxiety. These findings may guide interventions for the vulnerable group of pregnant women in times of crisis.

Fertility treatments are a stressful experience. However, the support provided by meaningful support figures, such as a mother, may contribute positively to the mental health of women with fertility issues. The present study therefore explored the experience of Israeli mothers whose daughters encountered fertility problems and underwent treatment to bring their first child into the world. In a retrospective qualitative study, face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 women aged 49-73. Women in the study had a daughter in a spousal heterosexual relationship who conceived her first child via fertility treatment, and this child was up to 4 years old at the time of the interview. Three main themes emerged: (a) The stressfulness of a daughter's fertility problems and treatments for the mother; (b) The mother's supportive role; and (c) The mother's own need for support. The results suggest that due to the unique nature of the mother-daughter relationship, a daughter's fertility problems and treatments are also stressful for her mother. Nevertheless, mothers can be, and wish to be, an important source of support for their daughters. Empirically, further research to extend this understanding is recommended. Practically, professionals should be aware of the mother's distress and the fact that she is likely to deny her own need for support, and make an effort to relate to the stress of these women and help them to be a more effective resource for their daughters. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).