CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to the Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women are at higher risk of developing severe illness with COVID-19 than the general public.
Those trends are changing how expecting mothers are preparing for the arrival of a new family member.
This includes Miranda Salinas who is 8 months pregnant with her first child, a boy.
“It's been kind of a roller coaster of emotions,” Salinas said.
Salinas says her little miracle came as surprise to her and her fiance.
“I was always told that I wouldn’t be able have babies, so when we found out it was a big shock,” she said.
During the pandemic, hosting a baby shower or having a gender reveal party is not an option for many families.
“It was very difficult planning the baby shower," said Salinas. "Christmas, Thanksgiving, just because we are the one who always host everything.”
Having a baby during the pandemic is also changing important doctors visits.
According to Southwestern Medical Center, nearly half of Americans say they skipped or delayed medical care because of the pandemic.
The World Health Organization recommends eight total appointments for patients with low-risk pregnancies.
“Before we wouldn’t have to do a check-in every time as far as the person that you’re bringing in if they have any symptoms or if they’ve been tested,” said Salinas.
In response, health care providers are making COVID-19 testing more readily available for pregnant women. Having a discussion with your health care team can help ease the stress of going into labor during this time.
“My mother and my fiancé will be able to be in the room," said giddy Salinas. "Yes! So, I’m so excited.”
Maline Line Health points out that while many pregnant women are feeling vulnerable these days due to the lack of social gathering COVID-19 grief can carry on into the postpartum period.
You can find ways of dealing with grief by eating well an exercising, looking for creative outlets, or try grounding techniques. For more details click here.
