While researchers are still learning how the COVID-19 coronavirus affects pregnant women, current information shows that pregnant women do not react any more seriously to COVID-19 than the general public.

Some women with COVID-19 have given birth to preterm babies, but it’s not clear if this was related to the virus. It’s not likely that COVID-19 can be passed to a baby during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, but more research is needed to be sure.

Below is some information on helping you to avoid the virus, getting help if you need it, and what you might need to think about regarding your birth plan if you are getting close to having your baby.

Avoiding the COVID-19 Virus

COVID-19 spreads primarily from person-to-person contact, so pregnant women should take the same precautions to avoid infection as everyone else, which include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and rub hands until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home as much as possible.
• Stay at least 6 feet from other people if you do have to go out.
• Avoid people who are sick.
• Wear a mask or cloth face covering if you are out in public, if you are around someone who is sick, or if you are sick and around other people. Your mask doesn’t have to be surgical or medical grade (N95).

If you haven’t talked to your doctor about your pregnancy care, it would be a good idea. The way your doctor wants to handle your regular visits may have changed. You can read the general policies related to COVID-19 from Cheyenne Women’s Clinic on our website.

You can help yourself stay healthy by following your doctor’s regular recommendations during pregnancy, including:

• Eating healthy meals
• Exercising regularly
• Getting plenty of sleep
• Avoiding alcohol and drugs

Getting Help

If you are feeling fear, uncertainty, stress, or anxiety, reaching out to friends or family through phone calls, texts, or video chats may help you feel connected and reassured.

But if your symptoms are more in line with these, call your doctor to find out how you can get help:

• Feeling sad, hopeless, worthless, or helpless
• Having extreme fear or worry, which can cause a fast heartbeat
• Feeling that life isn’t worth living
• Having scary and unwanted thoughts over and over that you can’t get rid of

If you feel like you are in crisis or feel like you could hurt yourself or others, call 9-1-1 to get help right away.

And if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and have a fever or cough, call your doctor. If you have emergency warning signs, call or have someone call 9-1-1. These include:

• Having a hard time breathing or feeling a shortness of breath (more than what has been normal for you during pregnancy)
• Ongoing pain or pressure in your chest
• Sudden confusion
• Being able to talk to or respond to others
• Blue lips or face

Labor and Delivery

If you are getting close to the time for your baby to be born, talk to your doctor about your birth plan. It probably doesn’t need to be changed, even if you are sick. Your doctor will know about the most current policies at the hospital regarding visitors and how long you can expect to stay after having your baby.

If you do have COVID-19 when you give birth, your health care team may be taking steps to reduce their risk of contracting the virus. Your doctor may also talk with you about having your baby stay in a separate room, but that is a decision that you need to make together so you are comfortable with it.

Questions

Please don’t hesitate to call our office at 307.637.7700 if you are pregnant and have any questions at all about your pregnancy or COVID-19.

Resource: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. They will continually update their article on COVID-19 – feel free to use it as a reference.