Worried About The Coronavirus Pandemic and Pregnant? - Here is What You Should Know By Edmund F. Funai, M.D.

Let’s get right to the point. Here are two things the scientific community thinks so far that should ease your mind:

1. COVID-19 does not seem to behave differently during pregnancy. Some viruses, like the flu, make pregnant women much sicker than non-pregnant women. This does not seem to be the case with COVID-19.
2. There have not been any cases of a mom catching it, and then having it pass through the placenta to the baby.

If you have the time and want to read some reliable sources, check these out:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fspecific-groups%2Fpregnancy-faq.html
• https://www.obgproject.com/2020/03/13/coronavirus-and-pregnancy-early-data-on-risk-for-vertical-transmission-of-covid-19-infection-and-potential-risks-for-pregnant-women/
• https://www.propublica.org/article/coronavirus-and-pregnancy-expecting-mothers-q-and-a

Remember this: We don’t know a lot for sure so far, but what we think we are seeing is that pregnant women run the same risks as anyone else who gets the coronavirus.

However, getting the coronavirus is still a lot worse than getting the flu. About 1 in 5 who get it need to be hospitalized, and a good portion of the hospitalized patients need help to breathe, many in intensive care. Everything you read about the medical system potentially being overwhelmed if we do not try to slow down the spread is true. Read about “flattening the curve”: https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-flatten-the-curve.html.

A lot of moms are asking what they can do to maximize the chance of staying healthy and having a healthy baby. This is the advice I give them. These are not things you must do, but if you are able, you should give serious thought to doing. They won’t be possible for everyone:

1. Stay home: if you can work from home, do it. If you work in a job that has you dealing face-to-face with a lot of customers (not that people should be out at all except to buy food and other essentials like medicine), think even harder about asking for time off because of your pregnancy. It may be difficult financially, but in the long run, may be best for you and the baby. If you have to work, try to stay six feet from people, and use disinfectant wipes regularly on any surface you must touch that others touch a lot too. Go out only to buy food, medicine, and necessary prenatal appointments, and take precautions when you do.   
2. If you, and maybe your kids, have been home for a week or more and feel fine, great. You may be pretty safe. BUT, if you have a partner who lives with you who is still working and dealing with the public, try to free up a room in your house for them to practice social distancing. “Social distancing” is an unfortunate term, as it is not about limiting social contact, it is amount creating a physical separation.

If COVID comes into your home, it will likely be by someone in the household who has to go out in public every day for work. An infected person who feels fine may shed the virus for a few days before they start to feel sick. If you have the luxury of dedicating a bedroom and bathroom solely for that person’s use, think hard about doing it. Try to bring them food rather than have them go to the kitchen and touch many surfaces. If you do not have that luxury, use soap and water or disinfectant to wipe down any surfaces that they have no choice but to touch and do it frequently.

If you live in a pretty confined space and share a bed, and many do, now is the time to put your spouse/partner/roommate who has to work outside the home on the couch, as long as it is in a separate room. That is the new way for them to show you how much they love you in these unprecedented times.

I spend my time in the guest room, and it is a lonely way to live. But my wife and 3 kids have not left the house in 10 days. Odds are they are safe for now, but if they get COVID, it is most likely because I caught it at my medical office or hospital and brought it home.

I will continue to take care of high-risk mothers as long as I can, but even though I feel fine and my patients feel fine, I am still wearing (and reusing—a lot, because supplies are low) a mask and washing my hands constantly. I am doing this so I can keep providing care as long as possible.  

1. Pregnancy should be joyous, but share the joy in new ways using technology. I am telling many mothers to cancel gender reveal parties and baby showers. Being in large groups isn’t worth the risk. Yes, it is an awful sacrifice, but think about using services like Skype, Zoom, or FaceTime to have your parties virtually. When this all eases, you can get your gifts in person, or they can be mailed later when it is safer.

After you deliver, I know everyone wants to see your baby, but I would maintain social (physical) distancing just as strictly. Keep visitors away. All it takes is one visitor who is sick without symptoms to touch something in your house to infect you all.

If you were planning on having someone like your elderly (over 70) mom/dad or friend come stay with you to help out after the baby is born, think twice about it. If either you or your partner are working out in the public, while your older helper otherwise lives alone, you may be putting their life at risk by having them stay with you.

If you really want someone like your mom, dad, or friend who is elderly to come stay with you and have been conscientious about social (physical) distancing yourself, the safest way to do it is to ask your potential visitor to self-quarantine for at least a week, preferably 14 days, in advance of the visit, and if they still feel fine, they should get in a car, by themselves, and then drive directly to your house without stopping along the way if they can.

If this all sounds pretty extreme, it is, because these are extreme times. I also know many of the things I wrote above are just not possible for all families. Again, this advice was meant to answer the question: what can I do to maximize the chances that I and my baby will stay healthy? Do your best, and every bit makes a difference.

Stay in touch with family and friends using all that technology offers and try to keep your spirits up. This is not the first global pandemic (google “1918 Spanish flu”), this is just the first one we can follow in real-time with modern communication. Medicine and technology have come a long way since 1918! There are better times ahead.