Preparing for Baby During COVID-19
Having a baby can be overwhelming, but even more so in the middle of a global pandemic. Thank the Lord we live in a day of options. Women can choose to birth in a hospital, birthing center, or even at home, although 90% of women in America choose to have their babies in a hospital. However, with the current pandemic happening and guidelines changing daily more and more women are opting for out of hospital births. There are a number of women who can’t switch due to their pregnancies being considered high risk, so what are their options? If this is you, there is no doubt in my mind you are plagued with questions and concerns. My hope is to educate you so when your delivery date comes you are the best prepared you can be.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Every establishment is different, but most hospitals in the nation are screening each person before they are allowed to enter. This includes questions regarding your recent health, traveling, and taking your temperature. If your spouse or doula has a fever they will not be permitted to enter the hospital. If you test positive for COVID-19 there is a high probability you could be separated from your baby. Speak to your healthcare provider regarding this and find out the hospitals current COVID-19 guidelines. Almost all hospitals are asking that the birthing mother and her support wear a mask for the duration of their stay this includes while laboring and in postpartum. Some hospitals are not allowing the use of nitrous oxide as a pain coping mechanism so you will want to be prepared for how you want to manage your pain without that option. Some providers are not allowing water births, but are still allowing you to labor in the shower.
CAN I STILL HIRE AND HAVE MY DOULA PRESENT?
Things are changing rapidly with the virus, therefore each community and hospital has their own guidelines for birthing mothers. The best advice is to contact your provider and ask them the hospitals current stance on allowing doulas in L&D as well as the OR if you are scheduled for a belly birth. However, if for whatever reason a doula is not allowed this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hire one. Doulas are so much more than just hands on support during labor. Advice, education, mental support, and referrals are other areas of our expertise. Many of us are still offering early labor support in your home before going to the hospital. We live in the day of technology which means video calls with you. We can talk you through position changes, comfort measures, and offer unbiased information so you can make the best informed decisions for you and baby.
WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?
Doulas everywhere are receiving frantic calls from clients worried about their rights being infringed upon. Questions like can they make me get a c-section due to COVID-19? Can they separate me from my baby if we test negative for COVID-19 and are not showing symptoms? Can they separate me from my baby if we did test positive or are showing symptoms? I advise all clients and expecting mothers to call a medical malpractice attorney at anytime if you feel your rights are being infringed upon as well as vocally tell the medical staff you want a patient advocate ASAP. Research shows immediate skin to skin calms baby, releases hormones that stabilize baby’s temperature, breathing, heart rate, and blood sugar. It’s important for you to know your rights and how to prevent your baby being taken from you if you are faced with this situation.
FAMILY & FRIENDS?
Hospitals have limited guest accompanying the birthing mother to a spouse or doula. Family, friends, and child siblings will not be allowed to wait in the waiting room. Therefore if you do have other children make sure you either have a family member or sibling doula on call. The same goes for postpartum, NO VISITORS.
WHAT TO BRING?
Several hospitals are not allowing you to leave postpartum at all until you have been discharged from the hospital to help keep the spread of the virus down. So aside from the normal things to pack I suggest bringing A LOT of your favorite snacks. Food can be limiting in the hospital especially with some cafeterias are not working at full capacity. You will want to be prepared especially if you are nursing mother and need to keep your calories up. For more information on what to put in your hospital bag see my previous post here: https://www.womanofvalordoula.com/blog/hospitalbagchecklist
I also encourage expectant women, but especially new mothers to take a child birth education class so they can better prepare themselves. I hope you find this information informative and helpful.
XO,
Ashley