What’s Happening: COVID19 and Pregnancy
Welcome to my “News and Events” Blog! As a doula and childbirth educator, an amazing part of my job is to not only provide my clients with the information needed for them to make informed decisions but to take them straight to the source of that information! I am incredibly passionate about my own continued education and spend a lot of time attending webinars, classes, and reading up on the latest health recommendations for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum persons. Nearly a year into this pandemic, scientists are learning more and more about the best ways to stay healthy. Today, I want to talk about the latest CDC recommendations for pregnancy and COVID19.
For anyone who is experiencing pregnancy during this pandemic, I wish you all of the calm and reassurances in the world. There are so many researchers, health professionals, and birth-workers ready to help you at every step of your journey. I want to talk about a specific news release by the CDC covering pregnancy, breastfeeding, and newborn care (breastfeeding and newborn care to be covered in my next blogs!). Some of the recommendations are familiar; such as wearing a mask, staying home when possible, and washing our hands for 20 seconds. For the purposes of this blog, I want to focus on the pregnancy specific recommendations that some may not be as familiar with.
The article starts with emphasizing that the CDC does NOT want pregnant persons skipping their prenatal or postnatal appointments, saying “Visit your healthcare provider for all recommended appointments. If you need help finding one, contact your nearest hospital clinic, community health center, or health department.” I am not a medical professional, and therefore don’t give medical advise, but with their backing I completely agree! Your prenatal appointments are incredibly important. Developing a relationship with your care provider, having the health screenings and tests that you freely consent to (if you choose to consent to any!), and discussing any concerns or discomforts you may be having, are the staples to good healthcare. There are many health conditions you can develop during pregnancy that require changes of diet or close monitoring and you are far more likely to get diagnosed by regularly seeing your doctor or midwife. Your healthcare provider should be taking extra precautions to avoid spreading COVID to their patients and the CDC encourages anyone who is worried about catching COVID during their prenatal or postnatal visits to talk to their practitioners about these precautions.
The recommendation to not delay or skip medical appointments extends to emergency care. The CDC writes “Don’t delay getting emergency care because of COVID-19. Call 911 or go to your local emergency department … tell them that you are pregnant and are having an emergency.” According to the CDC, emergency services should “have a plan to protect you from getting COVID-19” just like your medical providers. As always, if you plan to drive yourself to the hospital, call before you start driving to let emergency services know you are on your way.
Next, the CDC continues to emphasize getting all recommended vaccines during pregnancy, such as the flu vaccine and Tdap or whooping cough vaccine. This has been a hot topic long before COVID, with many arguing against vaccinations (especially of pregnant persons) and many others arguing for it. If you would like to learn more about the risks and benefits of vaccinations while pregnant, Dr. Sears, American College of Nurse-Midwives, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), are some wonderful resources and as always, talk to your health care providers. Finding a practitioner, family health doctor, pediatrician, ect. that is supportive of your vaccination choices and willing to talk about all of your options is incredibly important for fully informed health care. If you are working with a doula, asking them to help you write up specific questions for your providers is an amazing way to empower yourself for these conversations!
Finally, if you are on any medications, the CDC recommends asking your provider for at least a 30-day supply of any medicines you may need. This can cut down on trips to the pharmacy and therefore your potential exposure to COVID. I would also add picking up your prescriptions at drive throughs if possible is another wonderful way to cut down your exposure.
Thank you so much for reading and as always,
God Bless!
