Giving Birth in times of Covid

Giving birth in times of covid-19 (NOA hospital)

Babies are going to keep coming but it’s a worrying time for mothers across the world giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic. Many women fear that giving birth in a hospital could expose them or their newborns to the virus. Hospitals are taking safety measures: they require new parents to wear masks. But still, a growing number of parents-to-be are looking to give birth at home. WHO recommendations are that pregnant women without or with symptoms of COVID-19 should be prioritized for testing. If they have COVID-19, they may need specialized care. Women are often asymptomatic carriers, and certainly the pushing phase of labor is definitely a time where things are aerosolized and there is risk for healthcare providers. As for natural childbirth, the father is still admitted in the operating room, where his support is particularly useful during the stages of labor. In accordance with the recent guidelines of the European Neonatology Society, the woman suspected or positive at Covid-19 must still breastfeed and can keep the baby in the room with her if she has no major symptoms. If she has mild symptoms, the mother can give her baby milk, wearing gloves and a mask. If the symptoms worsen, the baby is removed from the mother, who still continues to collect her milk, so that the child can have it.