5 Ways to Stay Safe in Pregnancy During COVID-19

It appears we’re in another baby boom! ‘Tis the era of the Corona Baby, a term coined by my friend who is a midwife and has been consistently getting phone calls from the newly pregnant and has seen an uptick in “new pregnancy” appointments.

It can be scary being pregnant and having a baby during this time because each time you go out to your monthly prenatal visit is a risk of exposure to this virus. Especially since you don’t know who could be infected since there’s a 14-day incubation period and people showing no symptoms can spread the infection. If this has caused me anxiety as a new mom I can only imagine the anxiety it can and has caused expectant mothers. Some of my anxiety has occurred on some of our neighborhood walks with our 7 month old when someone doesn’t know the meaning of social distancing, choosing to walk right next to us in passing instead of crossing the street or placing some form of distance between them and us. Clearly it is easier for them to do than us with our stroller. Then there’s the people who resist covering their cough or sneeze in public, who apparently have never been taught any better or choose to evade such teachings. It makes me extra cautious and in the rare occasion that I have run to the grocery store I shower and change clothes before touching and interacting with my son. You really can’t be too careful during this time.

1. Take it Back to Homebirth 101

Hospitals are major testing and treatment sites for those with COVID-19 and the thought of delivering there is enough to cause anxiety. Women who deliver in hospitals are being denied additional support persons like a doula as additional precaution in avoiding the spread of coronavirus. In response to COVID-19 many women are returning to the original way of doing things and calling on midwives. Some have even switched to midwives in their final trimester. Midwives are being called upon now more than ever and it’s such a beautiful thing! In my informed opinion, home or stand-alone birth centers are the safest places to have a baby for low-risk mommas right now. As one who had an out-of-hospital birth before COVID-19 I can truly say I wouldn’t have it any other way. So yeah, I’m here for this! This is how it used to be done and guess what, maternal mortality rates were lower when the midwives were running the show. So, ladies I say unto you, as a woman who believes wholeheartedly in the power of the midwife, consider utilizing them during this time.

2. High-Risk Pregnancy? No Problem

If you are high-risk and need to be at the hospital do your research and make sure they are taking all of the necessary precautions to keep you and your baby safe. I recommend going for hospitals that have the mother-baby unit far removed from the ER which is the first stop for many people with coronavirus.

3. Don’t Slack on Cleaning

Clean your groceries and anything you receive in the mail, regardless of what is being said in the media about coronavirus not living on your packages. There are new developments daily and, as I stated before, you can never be too careful! Wash your produce in dish soap and water, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds and spray all packaged goods. The virus dies in heat so it’s safe to get food you know you will cook but you still want to wash your produce because you’ll be touching and storing it until it’s time for cooking. Read the directions on your disinfectants because each product has varying levels of potency. Some need to sit on surfaces for 30 seconds while others need to sit for up to 10 minutes in order to work. Because you are pregnant whenever possible have someone else do the disinfecting. You want to limit your exposure to chemicals. If you are the one disinfecting, wear a mask to protect yourself from inhalation.

4. The Sun is Your Friend

Another, more natural, option for killing the virus, according to a recent study, is to let items you receive in the mail and your non-frozen groceries sit in the “summer sun” for 34 minutes which inactivates roughly 90% of coronavirus. During summer, UV light and radiation are more concentrated thus becoming more effective in killing viruses.

5. Seeing is Believing

Make sure all medical personnel who serve you during pregnancy and birth are practicing good hygiene. They should be washing their hands in front of you, using new gloves and wearing a mask at all times. You may even have to ask them to wash their hands in front of you to ensure you and your unborn baby’s safety. Also, ask them if the room was properly disinfected. Don’t feel bad about it either. There was a recent case of newborn triplets testing positive for COVID-19 yet their parents tested negative. There’s a claim that the mother could have contracted the virus early in her pregnancy and passed it to them (I doubt it). It’s possible for babies to contract COVID-19 if they are in close contact with someone who is infected. So who did they get it from? Medical staff know better but they can get lax.

In all things ask God to cover you, take additional precautions, carry your own disinfectant spray and gloves and be wise. Remember, no one can keep you safe from COVID-19 like you can.