Pregnancy is never convenient, but the current situation makes this time-period seem even more problematic.

Even with the extra precautions we are taking, we suggest maternity care cannot and should not be postponed or cancelled.

That is why there are some planning and adaptive services rapidly being put into place.

Take heart–

There is currently no evidence to suggest that pregnant women are at more risk of contracting coronavirus than the general population.

Another encouraging statistic that seems to be emerging from across the globe is that the risk of severe disease or death in healthy pregnant women and babies is very low.

According to That National Interest:

Generally, pregnant women do not appear to be more likely to be seriously unwell than other healthy adults if they develop the new coronavirus. It is expected the large majority of pregnant women will experience only mild or moderate cold/flu like symptoms.

However:

A woman’s immune system is lowered during pregnancy, making her more susceptible to illness in general. Therefore, you should follow the same safety rules: continue to avoid anyone who is sick, stay away from people as much as possible, wash your hands frequently.

More severe symptoms such as pneumonia, seem to  appear to be more common in older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term conditions. As yet, there is no evidence that pregnant women who get this infection are more at risk of serious complications than any other healthy individuals.

The guidelines also say: “During pregnancy, women’s immune systems are altered, in particular during the third trimester (from 28 weeks). This can be associated with more severe symptoms in some other viruses. Based on current information the risk from COVID-19 appears to be low. So, this advice is cautionary.”

We continue to make adjustments with social distancing to make certain every mother is protected.