Guidance and advice for pregnant women
It’s understandably a very worrying time for most people around the world with the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
If you’re pregnant, your anxiety levels are bound to be heightened as your concerns grow for the welfare of you and your baby, so it’s important you know the facts and try not to focus too much on the scary news reports.
What does coronavirus mean for my pregnancy?
While scientists are still trying to find out more about the virus and how it affects us, the experts suggest that pregnant women don’t have an increased chance of contracting coronavirus. According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, ‘pregnant women do not appear to be more susceptible to the consequences of infection with COVID-19 than the general population.’
In terms of changes to your day-to-day life, it’s important to follow the guidelines suggested to us all by avoiding places with large groups, public transport and work from home if you can, taking the precautions to keep yourself and your family safe.
What if I catch Coronavirus while I’m pregnant?
There is still very little known about Coronavirus in pregnancy. There has been a small study by Frontiers in Pediatrics where four pregnant women in Wuhan, China, who had all tested positive for COVID-19 were followed, and three gave consent for their babies to be tested for the virus. Of the three, none of the babies tested positive and all four babies were healthy and well when they left the hospital and did not have any symptoms of the fever.
You may have heard about one case where a new born tested positive for coronavirus (mum also had coronavirus), but there are suggestions that this could have perhaps been contracted after birth as the baby wasn’t tested until 36 hours after being born.
In addition to this, coronavirus hasn't been found in umbilical cords, breastmilk or amniotic fluid, so currently, there isn’t anything to say that your baby can contract coronavirus from you if you have coronavirus while pregnant.
Can I still breastfeed if I have coronavirus?
As for giving your baby breastmilk, there is no evidence that the Covid-19 virus can pass into our milk and, as breast milk is likely to give your baby added antibody protection against Covid-19 as well as all the other bugs that are common at this time of year. Even if you have the virus yourself, the benefits of breastfeeding still outweigh the risk of you passing the virus on by coughing or sneezing say the Royal College of Midwives. If you do have the virus and are breastfeeding, it is obviously important to try and keep pumps, bottles and your breast area very clean and try and wear a facemask if you can get your hands on one.
Should I be worried about catching coronavirus in the hospital?
Although hospitals are very clean places, it's understandable that you might feel concerned about catching coronavirus while you're there.
If you're due to give birth in the coming months in a hospital and are worried about possibly contracting the virus there, you should talk with your midwife or doctor about any concerns you may have. It might be worth having a think about other back up options if the prospect of a hospital is causing you anxiety.
What are the symptoms I should lookout for?
If you feel any mild to moderate cold or flu like symptoms including cough, fever and shortness of breath, it’s good to be on the safe side and call 111 or use the NHS online tool. Don’t visit your GP or attend hospital in person.
Other useful contacts
Read more about the latest scientific findings around coronavirus and pregnancy from The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Find out more about calling 111 and other NHS resources you can use if you're concerned you might have coronavirus.
It’s understandably a very worrying time for most people around the world with the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
If you’re pregnant, your anxiety levels are bound to be heightened as your concerns grow for the welfare of you and your baby, so it’s important you know the facts and try not to focus too much on the scary news reports.
What does coronavirus mean for my pregnancy?
While scientists are still trying to find out more about the virus and how it affects us, the experts suggest that pregnant women don’t have an increased chance of contracting coronavirus. According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, ‘pregnant women do not appear to be more susceptible to the consequences of infection with COVID-19 than the general population.’
In terms of changes to your day-to-day life, it’s important to follow the guidelines suggested to us all by avoiding places with large groups, public transport and work from home if you can, taking the precautions to keep yourself and your family safe.
What if I catch Coronavirus while I’m pregnant?
There is still very little known about Coronavirus in pregnancy. There has been a small study by Frontiers in Pediatrics where four pregnant women in Wuhan, China, who had all tested positive for COVID-19 were followed, and three gave consent for their babies to be tested for the virus. Of the three, none of the babies tested positive and all four babies were healthy and well when they left the hospital and did not have any symptoms of the fever.
You may have heard about one case where a new born tested positive for coronavirus (mum also had coronavirus), but there are suggestions that this could have perhaps been contracted after birth as the baby wasn’t tested until 36 hours after being born.
In addition to this, coronavirus hasn't been found in umbilical cords, breastmilk or amniotic fluid, so currently, there isn’t anything to say that your baby can contract coronavirus from you if you have coronavirus while pregnant.
Can I still breastfeed if I have coronavirus?
As for giving your baby breastmilk, there is no evidence that the Covid-19 virus can pass into our milk and, as breast milk is likely to give your baby added antibody protection against Covid-19 as well as all the other bugs that are common at this time of year. Even if you have the virus yourself, the benefits of breastfeeding still outweigh the risk of you passing the virus on by coughing or sneezing say the Royal College of Midwives. If you do have the virus and are breastfeeding, it is obviously important to try and keep pumps, bottles and your breast area very clean and try and wear a facemask if you can get your hands on one.
Should I be worried about catching coronavirus in the hospital?
Although hospitals are very clean places, it's understandable that you might feel concerned about catching coronavirus while you're there.
If you're due to give birth in the coming months in a hospital and are worried about possibly contracting the virus there, you should talk with your midwife or doctor about any concerns you may have. It might be worth having a think about other back up options if the prospect of a hospital is causing you anxiety.
What are the symptoms I should lookout for?
If you feel any mild to moderate cold or flu like symptoms including cough, fever and shortness of breath, it’s good to be on the safe side and call 111 or use the NHS online tool. Don’t visit your GP or attend hospital in person.
Other useful contacts
Read more about the latest scientific findings around coronavirus and pregnancy from The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Find out more about calling 111 and other NHS resources you can use if you're concerned you might have coronavirus.
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