COVID19 FAQs for mothers

by Messages for Mothers | Jun 23, 2020 | Physical Health

What’s different for pregnant and postnatal women in the time of COVID-19?

The symptoms and signs of COVID-19 are the same in pregnant women as the general public. Everyone should take care to avoid infection or infecting others. You help protect yourself by:

as often as possible with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol sanitiser)
when possible and keep household surfaces clean with 4 teaspoons bleach in 1 litre water. Keep bleach out of reach of children.

Can the COVID-19 virus affect my pregnancy?

Pregnant women are often worried about how a virus affects their health and that of their unborn baby. There is no proof at the moment that the virus causing COVID-19 can go via the womb to infect the unborn baby. There is also no proof of increased chance of miscarriage or newborn abnormality. High fever from any cause can bring on labour early.

Are pregnant woman more at risk for COVID-19?

In general, pregnant women are more likely to catch seasonal “flu”, and to have more severe symptoms from flu-like illnesses. Medical professionals recommend flu injections for pregnant women. But, it is not yet known if COVID-19 is worse in pregnant women. At this time, there is no vaccination for it. If you have any other illnesses such as TB, heart disease, HIV or diabetes you may be more at risk.

Should I still go to the clinic during pregnancy?

Yes. Pregnant women should continue attending their planned antenatal visits. Wear a cloth mask. When you arrive at the facility, you will be asked questions about COVID-19, have your temperature checked and asked to use hand sanitiser. Those women with symptoms (fever, dry cough, sore muscles, sore throat, difficulty breathing) will be cared for in a separate room and tested. If you have mild symptoms you will be asked to isolate yourself at home while waiting for the COVID-19 test result. If you have severe symptoms e.g. high fever or great difficulty breathing, you will need to stay in hospital.

What must I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19?

Pregnant women with any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, dry cough, sore muscles, sore throat, difficulty breathing) need to be tested. Please phone the hotline (0800 029999) or your local antenatal clinic to find out where to go for testing or whether you need to call an ambulance to take you to hospital urgently. Wear a cloth mask. As soon as you arrive, tell a health worker that you have these symptoms.

How will I be treated if I get sick with COVID-19?

If you test positive for COVID-19

In early pregnancy you will be managed at home (self-isolation) or in a place with other people who have or might have COVID-19.
In later pregnancy (after 5 months) you will be managed at home (mild symptoms and not in labour), in a safe place with other people who have the infection, or in your maternity facility if in labour.
If you have severe symptoms like high fevers and shortness of breath you will be admitted to a specialised hospital with a maternity unit, where you might need to be looked after in an intensive care unit.
If you have had the baby, you should stay together and breastfeed while wearing a mask.

Health care workers that look after you will wear protective clothing and keep you in an area separate from other patients. Don’t worry about this; it is to protect them and other women from getting the coronavirus.

What should I do if I don’t feel well in pregnancy?

If you have COVID-19 symptoms and/or you have other pregnancy symptoms that worry you like bleeding, reduced movements of the baby, breaking of waters; you must attend your facility. A cough must not prevent you from getting the necessary care for you and your baby. Be sure to first tell the health care worker of your COVID-19 symptoms or other symptoms as soon as you arrive at the clinic.

What happens when I go into labour?

Women who may have or have COVID-19 can have normal labour and there is no need for a special type of delivery such as caesarean section. Skin-to-skin care and breastfeeding should start at birth.
All women arriving at a facility in labour will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.
If you maybe have, or definitely have COVID-19, you will be looked after in a separated area and the health workers will wear personal protective clothing. You will be asked to wear a mask to prevent infection from spreading to other patients or health workers.
If you do not have COVID-19, you will be looked after in the normal delivery area with other patients

Although birth companions are very supportive to women in labour, some facilities may not allow them to be with you during this time of the COVID19 pandemic. This is to prevent the virus spreading from people without symptoms to other patients, newborn babies or health care workers. You will need to ask your facility what their policy is. If you can, try to connect with your support person over the phone as much as possible, while you’re in labour.

What is normal during pregnancy – and when should I go to the clinic?

Mobi-article/Mini-article

Many mothers are worried about their pregnancies and COVID-19. Here is some information about what is normal for pregnancy, what could be due to anxiety or a cold what could be a pregnancy complication, and what could be symptoms of COVID-19.

Heart palpitations: these are usually from a lot of stress or worry or could be due to a fever causing your heart to beat faster. If you do not have a fever, this is probably not COVID-19.
Shortness of breath: in pregnancy, your womb grows bigger and can make you feel a little short of breath. Sometimes if your red blood levels are low, this can also make you breathless. But, if your breathing is very fast and you are struggling to breathe, this could be caused by an infection – and you need to get medical attention urgently.
Blocked nose, stuffy, heavy feeling in the head: these are signs of a ‘cold’ or hayfever and are not common with COVID-19. You can take paracetamol to relieve symptoms
Headaches: in pregnancy, many women have headaches. They do not need to go to a clinic if the headache gets better if they drink fluids and take simple painkillers (paracetamol). But, headaches that don’t go away or are severe, can mean there is a serious problem like high blood pressure or COVID 19 (if also have fever and cough). You should go to the clinic immediately, and inform the nurse when you arrive, if the headache does not go away, is severe or comes with
- swelling of the feet, lights flashing in front of the eyes, painful belly, or
- you know you have a high blood pressure condition, or
- fever

Contact your maternity unit if

you have any pregnancy bleeding
you have pain in your belly
the baby is not moving as much as usual

None of these is likely to be caused by COVID-19. But these mean you should be checked by your maternity unit.

When you go to the clinic, wear a cloth mask, go straight away to the person who is organising the screening when you arrive. Difficulty breathing is an emergency, and you or your relative should phone the clinic or hotline to see if you need to call an ambulance to take you to hospital.

If you are not sure what a symptom means, or are unsure how urgent it is, phone your clinic or the hotline for advice. 0800 029 999

WhatsApp/Brief message

When to go to the clinic

You should go to the clinic:

for your scheduled antenatal visit.
in between scheduled visits if you have a dry cough, fever, headache or breathing problems. You will need to be tested for COVID-19
urgently, if you think you have a pregnancy problem such as bleeding, severe headaches, severe belly pain, the baby is not moving; or you have severe difficulty in breathing.

Sometimes you may be unsure if a symptom is a problem or not:

heart beating faster can be from stress or worry (if there is no fever or cough)
mild shortness of breath can be from your pregnant belly getting bigger
blocked nose is probably a cold or hayfever
headaches can be from stress or a cold (if no fever and do not get better quickly with painkillers)

If you are not sure what a symptom means, or are unsure how urgent it is, phone your clinic or the hotline for advice. 0800 029 999

Always wear a cloth mask to the clinic.

Can I breastfeed if I have, or may have COVID-19?

Breastfeeding is recommended for all mothers, including mothers who have, or may have COVID-19. So far, the COVID-19 virus has not been found in breastmilk.

Always wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds before and after you breastfeed.
Make sure you follow good respiratory hygiene: cough or sneeze into your bent elbow covering your mouth and nose, or into a tissue which you must then throw straight away into a closed container and wash hands with soap for 20 seconds.
If you have COVID-19, you should wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose when breastfeeding. A homemade mask can be a cloth or scarf that is washed after each use. Do not touch the mask while the baby is feeding or when spending time with the baby.

How can I protect my newborn baby from COVID-19?

Breastfeed: with proper handwashing before. If you have COVID-19, breastfeed with a mask.
Hold your newborn baby skin-to-skin on your chest (but keep them warm).
Everyone in the house should wash hands often with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser).
Choose only two or three other people to help with the baby. Everyone who spends time with the baby should always wash hands for 20 seconds before and after touching the baby. They should also use a clean, homemade mask each time they are with the baby.
They must not touch their face or the baby’s face.
No-one should kiss the baby’s face.
If possible, other people should be at least 1-2 meters away from the baby and the person caring for the baby.
Keep household surfaces clean. Use 4 teaspoons of bleach in 1 litre of water. Keep bleach out of reach from children.

How can I protect my children if I am going out to work?

If you are working out of the home, try to protect your children and other family members from COViD-19.

Stay home as much as possible
At work
- Wear a clean cloth mask
- Try to stay more than 2 meters away from others
- Don’t hug or kiss or have ANY physical contact with anyone
- Avoid touching your face
- Avoid groups where you see them gathered
- Try to avoid surfaces like doorknobs and switches that are touched by many people
- as often as possible with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol sanitiser)
- Leave all items such as pens, at work, if possible.

At home
- If possible, wash your hands and body and change into clean clothes before you enter the home
- Hand washing as above
- Wipe down any items your brought home, straight away with sanitiser or use 4 teaspoons of bleach in 1 litre of water. Keep bleach out of reach from children.

My child has flu symptoms. What should I do?

Children tend to have a mild type of COVID-19 illness if they get the infection. But they can spread it easily to others. As we go into flu season, children can pick up viruses other than Corona at this time. The symptoms caused by these viruses may be very similar to COVID-19.

You should take the usual precautions to avoid COVID-19:

Wash hands as often as possible with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol sanitiser)
Stay at home
If breastfeeding, continue with breastfeeding
Teach your child to avoid touching his face.
Teach your child respiratory hygiene. This means cough or sneeze into his bent elbow covering mouth and nose, or into a tissue which he must then throw straight away into a closed container and wash hands with soap for 20 seconds.

If your child has fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. For advice on what to do and where to go, contact the free COVID-19 hotline (0800 029 999/0800 111 132).

Can children with COVID-19 spread the virus to other people?

Yes. Children can seem well or have mild COVID-19, but still spread the virus to other people. So, as far as possible, children should be kept apart from adults who have illnesses like asthma, TB and diabetes and other serious health problems. Also, children should be kept apart from adults over 60 years of age as much as possible because older adults with COVID-19 may get sicker than younger people.

How can I protect my baby from COVID-19 when I live with an extended family and some work out of the house?

If you are living with an extended family, you should take the same precautions to avoid COVID-19 infection as other people. You and your child can help protect yourselves by:

Wash hands as often as possible with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol sanitiser)
and avoid crowded spaces.
Avoid touching your face.
Practice respiratory hygiene. This means cough or sneeze into your bent elbow covering your mouth and nose, or into a tissue which you must then throw straight away into a closed container and wash hands with soap for 20 seconds).
Do not allow family members to hold your baby unless they have washed hands properly before and after and use a clean homemade mask, each time
Avoid kissing the baby on the mouth or face.
Open windows when possible and keep household surfaces clean with 4 teaspoons bleach in 1 litre of water. Keep bleach out of reach of children.

If you have fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. For advice on what to do and where to go, contact the free COVID-19 hotline (0800 029 999/0800 111 132).

Should I still take my baby for immunisations?

Yes. Your baby should still be taken for immunisations as usual. The government has said that immunisations are an essential service. If you can make your way to the clinics, please take care and use all the usual protection measures. Wear a cloth mask and don’t fiddle with it. Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap before and after being in public spaces or transport. Please share the names of clinics which are no longer offer immunisations the free COVID-19 hotline (0800 029 999/0800 111 132).

If you cannot go safely to the clinic, there will be the chance to have catch-up immunisations after the pandemic.

If you can, phone before going to your clinic, to find out if special arrangements have been made for immunizations.

May I still go to the clinic for my family planning during the time of COVID-19 and during lockdown?

Yes. You will still be able to get family planning services from your local clinic. But try to find out if there are changes to the service or if it has been moved. Be sure to continue with your family planning during this time to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Remember that condoms give you protection against pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. If you are planning a pregnancy, it is better to wait until the COVID-19 problem is over.

I am pregnant and use public transport to get to the clinic. Should I still go to the clinic?

If possible, walk to the clinic to avoid being close to other people. If you need to take a taxi, try to sit with space between you and others. You should take the same precautions to avoid COVID-19 infection as other people. You can help protect yourself by:

Wear a cloth mask when in public places
Wash hands as often as possible with soap for 20 seconds (or use alcohol sanitiser).
Try to stay more than 2 meters away from others and avoid crowded spaces.
Avoid touching your face.
Practice respiratory hygiene. This means cough or sneeze into your bent elbow covering your mouth and nose, or into a tissue which you must then throw straight away into a closed container and wash hands with soap for 20 seconds).

If you have fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early. For advice on what to do and where to go, contact the free COVID-19 hotline (0800 029 999/0800 111 132).

Pregnant women and women who have recently delivered – including those affected by COVID-19 – should attend their routine care appointments.

If you can, phone before going to your clinic, to find out if special plans have been made for antenatal and postnatal visits.

Should I be wearing a mask? If so, what kind of mask should I wear, when should I wear it, and where could I get one?

Yes, you should be wearing a face mask when in public. Face masks help to stop the virus getting into the air and infecting other people. Even if someone feels well, they can still have the virus and can spread it to other people. Cloth masks are safe and best for the general public.

Mask tips:

Do not share masks.
Have two masks per person so one is always clean and available.
Your mask must be big enough to cover your mouth and nose completely.
For each time you use it, the mask must be washed with soap and warm water, dried and ironed.
Do not touch the inside layer of the mask when putting it on or taking it off.
Once your mask is on, do not fiddle with it, touch your face, or lower the mask to speak.
After you take off the mask, make sure you wash your hands carefully, and wash the mask immediately.

There is someone at home with COVID-19. What should I do if I am worried about my child’s health?

If children get infected with the virus, they usually have a much milder form of COVID-19 than adults.

Some children may become very sick with COVID-19, especially if they have other health problems, like malnutrition, TB, HIV, asthma and other chest problems or long-term illnesses.

If your child gets sick, it may be from COVID-19 or from other health problems.

If you are worried:

If you think it is an emergency, call an ambulance. Tell them that the child has had contact with someone with COVID-19.
If your child has a long-term/chronic health problem, call your regular clinic or doctor for advice.
If your child has always been healthy, call your nearest clinic or hospital for advice.
If your child must go to a clinic or hospital, someone who is well and without COVID-19 should take him/her there safely, using precautions.
- This person should tell the health workers that the child has been in contact with someone with COVID-19
- This person should wear a mask. If the child is over 2 years of age, he/she should wear a mask.
- It is best if someone can stay with the child. But If no one can, the caregiver should get the contact number for the ward where the child is admitted.

You can also contact the free COVID-19 hotline for help and advice (0800 029 999 / 0800 111 132).

Should children wear a face mask?

Children over 2 years of age should wear a face mask when outside of the home. But, they should also still keep about 2 metres away from other people. That is about the length of a bed.

But, a child should not wear a mask if

they cannot breathe properly through the mask
it makes them fiddle with the mask and touch their face more often
they cannot take off the mask on their own because of a disability
they are under 2 years of age