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Substantial public health measures occurred in Australian society during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the risk of community transmission. Little was known about the impact of these changes on childbearing women.

To describe childbearing women's experiences of becoming a mother during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

A qualitative exploratory design using semi-structured interviews was used. Women were recruited through social media and self-nominated to participate in an interview. Maximum variation sampling was used. A total of 27 interviews were conducted with women across Australia. Data were analysed thematically.

The thematic analysis resulted in four primary themes and ten sub-themes. The themes were ‘going it alone – having a baby was an isolating experience’ (‘receiving maternity care alone’, ‘dealing with government restrictions’, and ‘desiring …