(1)Quantitative data from a prospective cohort study of 839 pregnant and/or postpartum women who were between seven months gestation and three months postpartum at recruitment. Participants were interviewed three times over a nine month period. The cohort is a population-representative sample of parturient women in the commune of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Data were collected relating to socio-demographic characteristics; household assets; reproductive history; women’s work and occupation including both income-generating and non-income generating activities; birth and postpartum preparedness; characteristics of the index delivery; contraceptive history and current use; fertility preferences; health-related functioning (ability to carry out usual daily activities); haemoglobin level; mental health measured through the K10 scale; time use diary; household food security scale. (2) qualitative data (transcripts of 56 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions) from a nested cohort of women recruited from within PopDev, and their husband/partners. Key themes discussed in these qualitative data are women’s work, use of family planning, and the factors that facilitated or were challenging during their return to work during the postpartum period. Interviews with policy makers and key stakeholders also conductedOur previous ESRC-funded research in Burkina Faso showed the adverse effects of serious illnesses during pregnancy and the high costs of care on women's lives. The aim of this new project is to gain a detailed understanding of how the arrival of a new baby affects women’s productivity and how family planning and other reproductive health services can help women returning to good health and work. This multi-disciplinary project includes three sub-studies. Sub-study A is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data collected in Burkina Faso from 2001-2006. Sub-study B is a cohort study of women identified in the community during pregnancy and the first trimester after childbirth. Over a period of nine months, women will be interviewed three times about their health, preparations they made for childbirth and the period after childbirth, changes in paid work (or education) and domestic work, fertility intention and contraceptive needs. Interviewers will measure women's blood pressure and whether they have anaemia. In sub-study C, qualitative methods will document how women and their family make decisions on work, childbirth and family planning. Sub-study C will re-interview a sub-sample of cohort women, observe some of them in their daily activities, and interview men, policy makers as well as health care providers.

(1) Multi-stage stratified (urban vs. rural) sampling was used to select a population-representative cohort of 839 child-bearing women. The sampling frame was from the 2006 census. Women aged 15-44 years were eligible to participate if they were between seven months gestation and three months postpartum at recruitment, regardless of whether the infant was live born or stillborn. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Each participant was interviewed up to three times: at baseline (seven months gestation to three months postpartum), three months post-baseline, and nine months post-baseline. The follow-up rate at the third survey round was 93% (2)Participants were purposively selected from within the PopDev cohort in order to achieve a sample of women with a balance of those living in urban and rural area, and a range of socio-professional occupations. Both socio-demographic characteristics (age, marital and reproductive status, level of education) and socio-economic activities were taking into account. Women were generally between seven months gestation and three months postpartum at recruitment. Their husband or partner was also invited to participate in the qualitative study, however in most cases he declined so we have relatively few transcripts from the men. Most women participated in two in-depth interviews, a baseline and a follow-up interview, typically with a gap of 2-3 months between dates. Interviews were unstructured and focused on the themes of the birth, women’s work, use of family planning, and her return to work in the postpartum period. Interviews were conducted in a local language of the woman’s choice (usually Dioula), recorded, and later transcribed and translated into French. In total, 56 interviews took place (48 with women, 8 with their husband or partner). 2 women were interviewed once, 20 women were interviewed twice, and 2 women were interviewed three times. Three focus group discussions took place to complement the in-depth interviews. Focus groups were stratified by male/female participants and urban/rural residence. The groups discussed women’s work-related activities, the respective tasks of men and women at home, and how men could be involved in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Interviews were also done with policy-makers and stakeholders to document the policy and legal context.