The impact of pregnancy on the individual and military organization: A postpartum active duty survey

Abstract

Using a postpartum survey, comparing singles to married, we sought to expand existing information on pregnancy occurring among active duty service women. The study instrument was a 59-question survey distributed in the initial 24 hours postpartum and collected prior to discharge. The majority affirmed that pregnancy had not changed career plans. Singles did not consider their commands supportive during pregnancy, (p =.04). Eighty-two percent of pregnancies among singles were unplanned, (p =.006). The majority of single pregnancies occurred while assigned to operational units, (p =.004); and during their first enlistment, (p