The new strain of the Coronavirus that was first seen in Wuhan City in China has taken the world into its grips and has put the medical fraternity under extreme duress.
As India battles the second wave of the dreaded Coronavirus or COVID-19 as it is known, there are several questions around conception, pregnancy, and childbirth that have surfaced. With these questions being asked commonly, the fear and confusion are only increased manifold thanks to the several fake pieces of news that are in wide circulation currently.
In this blog, we try to answer a few very commonly asked questions around pregnancy, vaccination, and treatment around this virus.
As many of you have moved into the remote work posture, this looks like a good time to plan a baby. However, many of you also want to know the implications of the current scenario on pregnancy. To put all your doubts to rest, remember that this virus comes with no timeline. There is no clarity on when the situation will improve and how long this pandemic will continue for. Therefore, instead of putting it off, go ahead and start planning for conception - there is no harm.
One thing you should certainly keep in mind is the fact that before planning for conception, it is essential that you get vaccinated. This gives you a cover of safety and you can proceed with pregnancy without additional worries. Coronavirus is not found to cause birth defects, neonatal infection, or preterm birth. With no evidence that the administration of the vaccine in no way harms pregnancy or causes a miscarriage, you can confidently go ahead and get vaccinated.
Pregnancy can bring about a whole range of emotions and the pandemic adds to fear. Even though doctors across the globe are investing their lives to be able to manage the virus, the key is still prevention. If you are pregnant, it is essential that you focus on your safety and make sure that you are following all the protocols to keep yourself safe.
Based on available evidence, good practice, and expert guidance, the most important piece of advice from doctors to pregnant women is to maintain social distance and stay at home. The usual good hygiene habits like washing hands, using sanitizers and masks is a given. Even though there is no concrete treatment currently, the aim is to prevent mothers-to-be from infection and transmission to the newborn.
Some key points to remember include:
The first guidance is to not panic. Check for the intensity of symptoms. These include:
In case you are wondering, during these times, we strongly suggest that you do not make requests for induced labour, muhurtam deliveries, etc. One important thing to keep in mind is the fact that your mode of delivery will not change because of Coronavirus.
Mothers and their babies are usually kept together immediately after delivery unless there is a COVID situation. Even in that case, first, the baby is tested for the virus and then, mothers are advised to be with the baby following COVID protocol - mask, hand washing, etc.
Mothers can safely breastfeed their babies as long as safety measures are in place. In fact, breastfeeding is encouraged because of the mother passing essential antibodies to the baby. Proper sanitization should be followed while changing the baby’s diapers and clothes, handling breast pumps, etc.
The COVID 19 vaccine is an important step to protect yourself and prevent the spread. Vaccination reduces mortality, prevents long-term effects of the virus, and prevents transmission to others. It is not known to have any teratogenic effects as per current evidence and therefore, a pregnant woman vaccinated during early pregnancy must certainly not consider termination. Even if a pregnant woman has had COVID 19 in the past, it is strongly recommended that she opts for vaccination.
This phase might be confusing and scary. At the Birthplace, we are here for any guidance that you might need.
