For a woman, pregnancy is an exquisite journey because giving life to a new being is a wonderful and magical experience in itself, irrespective of the labour pain undergone. It is a remarkable moment not only for the new parents but for the entire family. A pregnant woman goes through plenty of thoughts from day one and keeps thinking about the kind of childbirth experience she might get to face. Not all birthing experiences are the same since each woman has been living a different lifestyle with different diets having different expectations. Thus, some women are more fearful than others, while some are confident, calm, and powerful before the time of childbirth.
In a situation like the COVID 19 pandemic, the strict regulations, restrictions on movement, and fear of catching infections from hospitals, altogether put a negative impact on the mental state of every pregnant woman.
If you are a pregnant woman amid this crisis, you have to prepare your mind to be flexible in case you have plans of taking both your parents and partner to the hospital, because most of the hospitals have restricted the number of visitors to only one. Only the birthing partner can accompany the labouring mother to the hospital.
It is comprehensible to be scared to go to the hospital alone with your partner in case it is your first-time pregnancy, but it is important to understand that a stricter social distancing policy has to be adopted by the hospitals to limit the contact of the newborn baby with the outsiders for the safety of baby from the coronavirus.
Expecting mothers are also worrisome about their regular health checkups. These women are receiving physical consultations over the phone or video calls, and if required, they visit the clinic for a check-up. Yet they have to be assured to take proper sanitation steps like wearing a mask, avoiding touching surfaces, washing hands, using sanitisers, keeping a distance from others when stepping outside the home, etc. Pregnancy is an overwhelming situation for a woman and all these extra layers of precautions add more to their already overwhelming state of mind. Other than clinical visits, they should avoid stepping outside.
Availability of the baby products in the market because of the market restrictions is another concern for expecting mothers, also they may not have a wide variety of choices when it comes to products like baby cradles and cribs.
If you are into the cesarean section, constraints may be more as it is a high-risk environment. The team in the operating theatre wears PPEs (Personal Protective Equipments) to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This adds difficulty in communication between the maternity team in the room and adds extra pressure on birthing parents to understand and follow the instructions from the doctor quickly.
You cannot control the dynamics in the delivery room but stay assured that the hospital staff is following the necessary precautions needed to be taken. To deal with anxiety before your due date, there are many things you can do or follow, some of them you can refer to are given below:
Focus on your health – It doesn’t matter how stressful COVID 19 situation may seem to you, understand that when the delivery is due, doctors will take due diligence to conduct the delivery as smooth as possible. Before that, you have to do your bit by eating healthy and staying active. Avoid caffeine, smoke and alcohol, and increase your water intake.
Connect with your people – Talk to your close friends, family members, or colleagues. Speaking out your worries and discussing your fears will avoid bottling up your feelings inside you. You will be at ease after you pour your heart out to your loved ones. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them, they may give you some valuable input from their own personal experiences.
Avoid checking Covid-19 news constantly – Of course, it is important to know the guidelines for pregnant women during this pandemic, thus, it is advisable to only read the information that is relevant to you and avoid consuming everything else which may cause you to stress. If you miss any important news, you can ask your partner or relatives instead of feeding on everything that news channels are throwing your way.
Takeaway
Get some required assistance from your midwife for motivation and confidence. However, there are many doctors, nurses, and other health-care professionals who can protect you with proper intervention if necessary, and make sure you give birth to a healthy child.
