Expecting a baby during the pandemic? Don’t worry.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/05/2020 (2015 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even in the best of times, pregnancy can produce a measure of anxiety, particularly for first-time mothers. Add the COVID-19 pandemic to that equation, and it’s not surprising that the anxiety level can sometimes be higher than normal.

The good news is that health facilities across the province are taking extra precautions to keep care areas clean, and safe, for patients — including mothers and babies.

As an obstetrician, the advice I give my patients is that the path to delivery is much the same as it was before the pandemic. I like to say that “it is still the same birth day party, just with fewer guests and a slightly different dress code.” The most obvious differences most patients may note are that are visitor restrictions in place to help protect patients and health care staff (labouring parents may only have one accompanying support person), and that staff are wearing more personal protective equipment (PPE) than they did before COVID-19.

The most important thing to know is that we’re working hard within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and at the provincial level to minimize changes or interruptions to obstetrical care for our patients. Our goal is to support a safe birth experience for both mother and baby.

The biggest concern I hear in my obstetrical practice is that expectant parents are worried about being exposed to COVID-19 in hospital. The reality, however, is that HSC Winnipeg and St. Boniface Hospital remain very safe places for all patients to receive care. We have put in place additional safety measures across the city, and the province to keep staff and patients safe. This includes regular staff screening, patient screening upon admission, increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning practices throughout our facilities and putting visitor restrictions in place. The number of COVID-positive cases needing hospital care in Manitoba has been extremely low to date.

Of course it is natural to express concern and want to be prepared with knowledge since we continue to be cautioned against our regular activities while COVID-19 remains in Manitoba.

Fortunately for expectant parents, recent evidence from the world medical literature indicates the vast majority of pregnant women who do contract COVID-19 experience only mild to moderate symptoms and recover well. There is no evidence to suggest that pregnancy increases the risk of infection or places the mother at an increased risk of becoming severely ill compared to non-pregnant women.

I would continue to urge all Manitobans to remain cautious and practice good hand hygiene and social distancing, but it is important that expectant mothers know that in general, pregnant women do well with this virus, and that the outcomes for babies born to mothers who have, or have had, COVID-19 are largely good.

Additionally, there is also no definitive evidence of transmission of COVID-19 from mother to baby, nor evidence of harm or malformations occurring during the baby’s development in the womb. The vast majority of babies born to COVID-positive mothers arrive without any evidence of infection. Likewise, there has been no evidence of the virus being transmitted through breast milk.

Rest assured that if you are following public health measures such as practicing social distancing and proper hand hygiene, you are doing all of the right things for you and your baby. If you do have questions, or concerns, about your own risk factors or exposure to the virus, I would encourage you to follow up directly with your obstetrician/gynecologist, family doctor or midwife. We are here to support the whole of your pregnancy and it is important that we know about your concerns in order to provide you the answers you need about your care.

But you can take comfort in knowing there is no reason for undue concern about COVID-19 symptoms during pregnancy or your delivery in hospital. Hospitals are taking every precaution to minimize any risk, and they continue to be safe places for you to seek care and deliver your baby.

Dr. Vanessa Poliquin is an obstetrician/gynecologist and a specialist in reproductive infectious diseases at Heath Sciences Centre Winnipeg (HSC) Women’s Hospital.