PREGNANT DURING t h e
PANDEMIC
Pregnancy during the time of COVID-19 looks pretty different. Here’s what you can do to make your experience go as smoothly as possible.
WORDS BY RACHAEL DUPREE
Masks. Telehealth appointments. Cancelled birth classes. Forced isolation. For mothers preparing to give birth in the year 2020, things have looked a lot different than they did not all that long ago. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has turned the birthing experience upside down, filling what would normally be an exciting, joyous time with anxiety and uncertainty.
Pauley’s feelings are not unique to pregnant mothers during this pandemic. On one hand, quarantine restrictions have provided the opportunity for extra rest and time to prepare for baby, while at the same time throwing in new hurdles to pioneer. Perhaps one of the hardest things about pregnancy during the time of COVID-19 has been not knowing what to expect day to day. With government guidelines and hospital policies changing seemingly every day in response to the mysterious and unpredictable disease, pregnant mothers have had difficulty making solid plans for their prenatal care and birth.
“Some days I’m scared to death, and other days I’m like, let’s just do this and get it over with,” says Kandice Pauley of Dayton, who was 31 weeks pregnant with her first child when we talked in May, just as coronavirus restrictions were beginning to lift across the country.
Now more than ever, communication between you and your care provider and support team — along with a healthy dose of f lexibility — is critical. With the conversation changing every day, here are some things you should consider discussing with your partner and birth team as you prepare for birthing day.
Planning for the Unexpected
July 2020 I swOHIOparent.com
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