Pregnancy and Delivery During COVID-19

Among the long list of things we don’t know about the coronavirus is exactly how it affects pregnant people and their babies. One of the first studies on the topic suggests pregnant people are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness than non-pregnant people. While pregnant peoples’ risk of needing hospital care for COVID-19 may be increased, the risk of death appears no higher for pregnant women with COVID-19 than for non-pregnant women with COVID-19. 

As more studies are conducted, extreme caution is advised. Here’s a step-by-step guide to what we know so far and what pregnant families should do to protect themselves.

Take every precaution. During this stage in our understanding of COVID-19 and how it affects pregnant women, it is wise to take greater care than you may if you were not pregnant. Remaining 6 feet from others, wearing a mask while in public, and washing and sanitizing hands frequently are indispensable steps in protecting yourself. Avoid travel and events, especially indoors. Limit trips outside the home to only those that are truly necessary, like for getting groceries and picking up prescriptions.

Keep your prenatal appointments. Prenatal appointments are an important part of your care. Not only do we monitor your health and the health of your baby, we ensure you have the important vaccines and help you manage your overall health, including encouraging healthy meals, exercise, sleep, and discontinued use of alcohol and drugs, including tobacco and marijuana. We also check in on your mental well-being and connect you with help for feelings of depression, anxiety, or hopelessness.

With our strict cleaning regimen, virtual waiting room, and fully masked staff, your risk of contracting COVID-19 in our office is extremely slim.

If you think you have COVID, get help right away. A fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should be addressed immediately with a COVID-19 test, which you can obtain through your OB/GYN or primary care office. For all emergencies, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

When the time comes. For most families, very little about the actual labor and delivery will change, as compared to those before COVID-19. The main difference is that the entire staff will be masked. All staff members also wear face shields while providing care to you. Care partners should also be masked at all times, and mothers should be masked, except during delivery.

Visitors, other than your care partner or co-parent, are restricted entirely at this time. In fact, all visitors should quarantine for 14 days (or seven days with a negative COVID test) before visiting you after you return home.

Avoiding passing infection to your baby. At this point, it seems rare that a baby would become infected with COVID-19 in utero. Some babies have tested positive shortly after birth, but it is unknown if they contracted COVID-19 before or after birth. Newborns with COVID-19 can experience serious illness.

If you happen to be COVID positive at the time of delivery, you have some important decisions to make. You can stay with your baby, much as you would if you were COVID negative. We would advise you to wear a mask when within 6 feet of your infant, including while breastfeeding. Careful handwashing and disinfecting are also recommended.

As difficult as it is, you can choose to separate from your baby temporarily to protect him or her from contracting the virus. In this case, we recommend pumping breast milk, which a healthy person can feed to your baby. A hybrid approach, separating while still in the same room, is also an option.

While we are still learning about breastfeeding and COVID-19, it appears as if passing COVID-19 through breastmilk is rare. The benefits of breastfeeding for most moms and babies, including custom-formulated nutrients and immune-boosting properties, appear to outweigh the very small potential risk.

While navigating pregnancy, labor, and delivery during a pandemic is certainly more complicated than in the pandemic-free pregnancies of the past, as your care providers, we are with you every step of the way. We are here to provide answers to your questions, important resources, and support.

Kimberley Sampson, MD, is an OB/GYN physician at SVMC OB/GYN. She is board certified in both OB/GYN and obesity medicine.