Pregnancy and Coronavirus – Covid-19
In the pandemic lockdowns, many couples planned pregnancy and had children as well. It felt safe as most people were in their homes.
However, now that coronavirus and its different variants have surfaced with more vitality and contagiousness, there are a lot of apprehensions. If pregnant women are exposed to any Covid-19, they need more intensive care and are more likely to face the severity of the disease compared to other people.
Pregnant women who are older, overweight, or have pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure or sugar even more so. run a risk of facing the severity of Covid-19.
Pregnancy creates changes in the body’s immunity. Therefore, if you are carrying a baby, you must take full precautions and immediately report an incidence of cough, fever, or breathing problem.
Should Pregnant Women Take the Vaccine?
Studies have confirmed that there’s no risk to the mother or the health of the fetus if she takes the vaccine doses. Women have reportedly built a good number of antibodies with vaccination, more than those who built antibodies by infection (corona disease). Your being pregnant does not reduce your eligibility as a candidate for
How Can Pregnant Women Protect Themselves from the Corona?
The protocol for safeguarding against Covid-19 for pregnant ladies is pretty much the same as for other people.
- Wash your hands every now and then with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Keep 2 meters of physical distance from people.
- Avoid crowded places. Stay at home as much as possible
- When distance is not possible, wear a non-medical mask made of fabric
- Drink plenty of fluids and rest a lot to keep the immune system strong
- Avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Go for walk in a mask and keeping 2 meters distance from people you do not live with
- Follow respiratory hygiene- for sneezing and coughing use the bent elbow instead of hands. Cover the mouth with a paper napkin and dispose of it immediately.
- Immediately seek medical attention in signs of fever, cough & breathing difficulty.
- Avoid all travel
Pregnant women should follow routine appointments and remain in touch with their maternal clinic.
Does the Covid-19 Virus Pass from a Pregnant Woman to Her Child?
There isn’t any conclusive evidence to indicate transmission of the virus from the mother to the baby in the womb, or while delivering. Samples of the uterine fluid and breast milk have been tested for the active coronavirus by researchers, but they have been found negative.
Are You Worried About Staying in the Hospital After Delivery?
All hospital workers and gynecology teams are working hard to make sure that you have no risk of infection. A minimum number of people are allowed to visit the hospital.
At Eva Hospital Ludhiana, we make sure that the ward is sanitized at all times and the staff is vaccinated. Everyone is tested regularly and made to wear PPE while tending to patients in the maternity ward. Your health is our priority.
All precautions are being taken to minimize exposure risks. If you want to, you can go home quicker than you otherwise might after the delivery, as long as you feel okay and the delivery was normal.
How to Feed the Baby If You Have Covid-19 Virus
WHO recommends that women should continue to breastfeed their babies even if they test positive for corona or have suspected symptoms. It is so because the benefits of breastfeeding are much more than the risk of covid infection.
Also, the virus does not pass to the child through breast milk. Nonetheless, the mother should follow respiratory hygiene as explained above. She should wash her hands before and after touching the baby.
Also, a mother is required to wear a medical mask whenever she is in contact with her child. Close contact and breastfeeding both are very helpful for the baby’s health, well-being and immunity.
Is Corona Testing Essential for Pregnant Women?
Testing protocols for pregnant women may vary in different states. At most places, it is not mandatory for them to take the test during pregnancy unless they have symptoms of fever or cough, etc.
However, just before the delivery, Covid-19 testing is done as a precautionary measure.
The WHO recommends that if a pregnant female reports symptoms of corona, her test should be done at the highest priority.
Planning Pregnancy in Corona Pandemic
Pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes in communities and they should not be delayed or put off. Doctors have asserted decisively that people can get the vaccine, plan their family and conceive.
If someone gets pregnant after the first injection, they can normally go ahead with the second injection of the vaccine too.