By: Nadine Hernandez

Photo of: Nadine Hernandez
Graphics & Fact Box by: Nadine Hernandez

Just a few weeks before Covid-19 was plastered all over news headlines and social media feeds, I found out that I was pregnant with a baby boy. I had imagined the theme of my baby shower, the father of my child attending ultrasound appointments and my mother present when my son is born, but that was not the case for myself and thousands of other women.

On March 13, Trump declared a national emergency, and at that point I was a pregnant essential worker; it was chaotic. I found it difficult to breathe because of the mask, and I felt anxious to go to work. Throughout this time, it was challenging to refrain from reading articles on how Covid-19 could affect my pregnancy, as I could not help being skeptical. What is currently known about Covid-19 is what occurred during the past couple of months: shortage of toilet paper, social distancing regulations, lockdown, curfew, closing of businesses and educational establishments.

According to the CDC, based on current research, pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness for Covid-19 and other outcomes, including preterm birth.

For my prenatal appointments, I remember sitting in the waiting room and seeing unaccompanied pregnant women and every other chair blocked to prevent being sat on to maintain social distancing. Kaiser's Permanente's visitor policy does not allow visitors to come with the patient to any appointments.

I had two on-site prenatal appointments and one over the phone because Kaiser wanted to refrain high-risk patients from coming to the hospital. It was upsetting to not be able to have my loved ones accompany me and unfortunate that a life changing experience is occurring during a life threatening pandemic.

On Aug. 1, published research article "Elevated depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic" stated:

"Higher symptoms of depression and anxiety were associated with more concern about threats of COVID-19 to the life of the mother and baby, as well as concerns about not getting the necessary prenatal care, relationship strain, and social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher levels of perceived social support and support effectiveness, as well as more physical activity, were associated with lower psychological symptoms."

On June 23, five weeks sooner than expected, my water broke, and I quickly made my way to the hospital from work and was immediately tested for Covid-19. I was directed by nurses to wear my mask at all times and was prompted to state if I ever felt ill at any point. With negative results, I was able to focus on my son's wellbeing and a safe delivery. I immediately found it challenging to do without my mother. Kaiser's Permanente's policy during labor, delivery and hospital stay requires that only one person, the labor partner, stay with the patient at the hospital and is unable to leave until the patient is released. Despite the circumstances, FaceTime calls were still made to loved ones, and I had help that ensured to share my journey to personal social media accounts.

Before the pandemic, as soon as a baby was delivered based on a mother's birth plan the baby is given to her for skin-to-skin contact. Today, if a mother tests positive, Karen M. Puopolo, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP, a lead author of the guidance and member of the AAP Committee on Fetus and Newborn (COFN) states:

“The AAP recognizes the terrible toll such separation may take on every family and baby. The goal of our guidance is to decrease the chance of a newborn acquiring a potentially serious, even fatal, infection. The AAP entirely supports working with a family to determine the best way to ensure that their baby is safe.”

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47,096 pregnant women tested positive for Covid-19 and 58 women have passed away during their pregnancy.

I felt fortunate to be able to go home with my son within the span of three days, but then I faced a new challenge: being exposed to the world with my newborn. Since my son was born prematurely, I asked family members to give time to my son to develop and adjust to life outside of the womb. It was extremely difficult to ask my family of this, but it was important to prioritize my son's health. I stayed home with my son for about five months and struggled with postpartum depression for a short time.

Dr. Jennifer Conti, a San Francisco Bay Area-based OB-GYN, states:

“Even the people you’d normally call on to be a support system in the postpartum period can’t be there because of restrictions on travel, stay-at-home orders, and the risk of COVID-19.”

Being a student granted me the chance to have a sense of individuality and was a place where I was able to share my ideas. Attending class had turned into a source of socialization and was beneficial because it kept me distracted from negative thoughts.

However, attending class online alone during a pandemic was also difficult to do; I was experiencing mom guilt because I felt that I did not give sufficient attention to my son. My mother had often comforted me by saying that I was still an important part of his life and am doing the best for him. She had explained to me that it was important to normalize feeling such a way and to understand it was a part of motherhood.

Although, I was able to bond with him through breastfeeding and other mothers who also bonded through breastfeeding but tested positive remain concerned if they can potentially pass Covid-19 to their newborn through their breastmilk. However, "Children & Woman Guidance" suggests practicing respiratory hygiene while breastfeeding, wearing a face cloth covering and routinely cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that were touched.

The CDC states:

"Breast milk provides protection against many illnesses and is the best source of nutrition for most babies. We don’t know for sure if mothers with COVID-19 can spread the virus to babies in breast milk, but the current evidence suggests that this isn’t likely."

The seriousness of Covid-19 remains present, and as a mother, is a major factor to consider if loved ones decide to visit. Today, loved ones inform me if they have felt ill and if so, they wear a mask during their visit.

Essentially, my experience being pregnant throughout the pandemic had taught me how to withstand the pressures of the outside world and how to be able to manage my mental health. A challenge that I personally faced was managing the intake of news that dealt with the virus because it was a consistent reminder of the circumstances that society was in.

In the end, the hardest part of this experience was not being able to physically share certain memories with family, especially close family members. Even if it can not be shared in large gatherings, there are still many ways to share the news such as through Zoom. During this challenging time, it is necessary to support pregnant women and new mothers as it is already difficult to cope while withstanding physical, emotional and mental changes.

Motherhood During Covid-19