How can families navigate pregnancy and childbirth during the coronavirus pandemic?
For people who are pregnant and worried about giving birth, Doctor Danielle ?Tomevi, of Southern Illinois OB-GYN has a message: Don’t worry, your doctors are still here for you.
“You are going to be supported, you are not going to be alone through this time,” ?Tomevi said.
?Tomevi said her office has made changes to support patients, including transitioning some pre-natal visits to telehealth. And there is some good news.
“With regard to COVID-19, we have limited data, but what we do know is that currently, pregnant individuals do not seem to be at increased risk for severe morbidity, so ICU admission or mortality, compared to those individuals in the general population who are not pregnant,” ?Tomevi said.
For those who are considering starting a family, ?Tomevi said the first thing they should do is talk to their doctor.
“All people who are considering pregnancy should have a detailed discussion with their OB-GYN,” ?Tomevi said. While pregnancy doesn’t appear to increase the risk of complications from COVID-19, other pre-existing conditions may be cause for concern.
?Tomevi said patients are also being forced to deal with changes to their plans for birth, thanks to restrictions on the number of visitors allowed at local hospitals.
Another change comes post-delivery, when new parents might usually get help from friends and family. While some people may have family members isolate themselves for 14 days and then come visit, others are choosing to introduce a new baby through a window or via video-chat.
“This has been a really hard area. We have started in our office, checking in via televideo seven to fourteen days after delivery,” ?Tomevi said.
The check-ins are to help screen for symptoms of post-partum depression, which ?Tomevi says she has seen an increase of thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
She recommends new parents try to do simple things like showering every day or doing something they enjoyed before having a baby to help cope with the changes to their life.
?Tomevi also reminds people they can call their doctor.
“Have some grace with yourself as a parent, especially in this era,” ?Tomevi said. “There’s still resources out there. Just because we are on lockdown doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to take care of you.”
