Hellobee Boards

Already delivered:
1. Your delivery date
March 17th

2. Your state/location
NJ

3. Did you prepare differently for this hospital visit? Ex. Did you pack anything different?

No. I feel like things were just starting to change in our area a week or so before my due date, so I packed normally.

4. Your delivery experience in relation to COVID (pre-screening, number of support persons allowed, how long you stayed in the hospital, etc.)

They were just asking about travel history and symptoms when I went in, but I know our hospital now has much more rigorous screening procedures (taking temperatures, etc.).

We hired a doula, and they just reduced it down to one support person by the time I delivered. I had decided to schedule an induction before they changed the rules to try to get my doula there, but they changed it before my induction time. Cancelled the induction, but ended up having to be induced anyway on my due date for low amniotic fluid. My doula was in contact virtually. Not the same (and obviously not her fault). Feeling angry that women's health is put at risk (not allowing a doula as a second support, I consider them to be a professional advocate, a few hospitals not allowing any support person). Our hospital is still allowing one support person for delivery and postpartum.

They were really pushing anyone who had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery to leave after 24 hours. I pushed to stay longer, as our first daughter had to be readmitted for jaundice, and did not want a repeat of that situation.

Our hospital was no longer going to be having the hearing screen people come in, our baby was able to get hers the last day they were there.

Lactation consultants were still there.

(Side note, out of the hospital, most of the in home lactation consultants in our area are doing virtual appointments, which I understand, but do not think I would personally find helpful).

5. Have you been advised to isolate for 14 days (or other amount of time) after the birth? How are you managing this if you have other children?

No.

6. Are your pediatric visits different than they typically would be (fewer, telehealth, etc.)?

We are pushing off our 18-month-old's appointment for a month hoping things will improve a little, as it is hard to keep her from touching everything and putting her hands in her mouth. Pediatrician was absolutely ok with this.

We are on a regular schedule for the new baby. I am breastfeeding, and she lost weight in the beginning, so came in for a couple of weight checks. Not going back again to her one month appointment. I probably would have scheduled another weight check this week if I wasn't worried about exposure to the virus. Baby is back up to birth weight though!

Pediatrician's office is very clean, they are sanitizing after each patient. Separate entrance/waiting rooms/exam rooms for well and sick children, all staff in masks and gloves.

Overall, I know there are so many things I have to be thankful for. A healthy baby. A quick delivery (baby was born 2 1/2 hours after I received cervadil!). Not needing an epidural. Having my husband there for the birth and postpartum. That this wasn't my first birth. I just can't help but feel angry, a little for myself, but mostly for others who have had no support person, or no support person postpartum, or who felt rushed out of the hospital before they were ready. I have always felt comfortable having a hospital birth because I know if something went wrong, I would be in the best place to handle it, but the irrational part of my brain is saying that if we were ever to have a third I would want a home birth.

Sending thoughts and prayers to all who are pregnant or delivering right now.

Delivering later:
1. Your due date: planned c section on 4/9
2. Your location/state: Arizona -metro Phoenix area
3. How have your OB visits changed? They haven't really...they check your temp when you arrive and you're only allowed 1 adult person with you but I always go alone to my check ups anyway.
4. Have you changed how you are preparing for birth (online childbirth classes, doulas, etc)? No...just the afterwards (No visitors, etc)
5. How is your hospital handling birth/labor and delivery right now? 1 support person allowed, but he is not allowed to leave and come back, so he is stuck at the hospital the whole time with me. My daughter will not be able to come visit.
6. Have you talked to your pediatrician about what visits will look like? They're trying to keep all well visits in the mornings and sick visits in the afternoon.
7. Anything else! This sucks 🤷‍♀️

Delivering later:
1. Your due date: 5/18
2. Your location/state: MI
3. How have your OB visits changed? I had an appointment at 32 weeks and would normally go back at 34 weeks but we are delaying until 36 weeks, with encouragement to call whenever. I ordered a pulse ox and BP monitor. Should probably look into urine strips.

4. Have you changed how you are preparing for birth (online childbirth classes, doulas, etc)?

Nah, baby #2, wasn't planning on doing much. I got some books from the library, which don't have to be returned foe rhe foreseeable future! Should probably brush up on the phases of labor.

5. How is your hospital handling birth/labor and delivery right now?

Right now, DH would be allowed at delivery. As the amended policy reads, I think they could ask him to leave after delivery. Doc said in practice they are not doing that...yet. She also said I would be wise to leave him behind if I were admitted COVID suspect, so he could care for baby in the event baby was taken away from me.

The hospital I am delivering at has been designated as a COVID hub, so if that comes to fruition, they will divert me to a hospital 1-1/2 hours away, which I assume means early induction.

6. Have you talked to your pediatrician about what visits will look like?

Nope. Haven't even gotten that far, just want to delivery this rainbow baby safely.

7. Anything else!

My #1 worry is that there will not be medical professionals to support my labor and delivery and that the consequences could be dire. I've mostly distanced myself from those drastic thoughts. I don't care where I deliver or who attends the birth, I just want to live to tell about it!

1. Due date is 6/23.
2 location - WA
3. On visits - not allowed anyone with me during visits, screening at the entrance before coming in. I’m seen at a clinic inside a major hospital due to being high risk. But the clinic is doing all the blood work for patients rather than sending to lab, so things were streamlined a bit today at my 28 week visit. They are considering once a week ultrasounds rather than twice a weeks NSTs starting at 36 weeks if there are still hospital restrictions at that time.
4. I was scheduled for in person prenatal care classes and breastfeeding classes - right now they just pushed them to later may - don’t know what I’ll will do as FTM if the classes are cancelled and not offered in another forum.
5. I’m at a major hospital and will still deliver at it. The Hospital is allowing one support person and no other visitors. That’s how DH and I planned this birth so that doesn’t impact me too much. I’ll have to find out if he’s allowed to come and go or if hospital stay will be reduced but i am hopeful in 12 weeks this virus may be a bit more under control and so things may change yet again.
6. Don’t have a pediatrician yet, will talk to my doctor about that next visit at 32 weeks.
7. Just trying to stay healthy and calm in uncertain times and focused on the joy having having a much wanted and longed for rainbow baby!

Delivering later:
1. Your due date May 27
2. Your location/state Ontario
3. How have your OB visits changed? - yes my midwives will only see my five times in my 3rd trimester and twice postpartum unless something changes, my OB consult is this week, still in person. My midwife visits are mom only, 15 minutes, then midwife calls later to go over stuff.
4. Have you changed how you are preparing for birth (online childbirth classes, doulas, etc)? Actually considering home VBAC birth depending on how OB consult goes, and how things continue to unfold
5. How is your hospital handling birth/labor and delivery right now? Won't know til Thursday
6. Have you talked to your pediatrician about what visits will look like? Not yet
7. Anything else! Thankful to have this thread of support, I am feeling better coming up with a few contingency plans. Week 1 in isolation I cried 3-5 times a day. Feeling better last 1.5 weeks.

@Becky: yes I am still allowed in our region. Some places are not allowing them anymore because they can't control the safety for the midwife. My midwife said I would need to decide by end of April if I'd like to move forward with a home birth. So I'll continue to monitor the outbreak in our area and go from there. I have basically three plans...

1. VBAC at a hospital 45 minutes away in a bigger hospital (more exposure potential)
2. Home birth
3. Scheduled c-section at my small local hospital

If things get really bad or I don't feel safe going to the larger hospital I will decide between home birth and c-section. I am really hoping that by end of May things are looking more positive but who knows at this point.

@SweetCaroline: I really appreciate your response, and your ramble. That’s how my brain feels and I feel like I just needed to let it out. With the quarantine I’m not even seeing most of the people I’d ramble to either. When I have perspective, I know everything I should be grateful for and I know that I’m just mourning yet another change in plans, and loss of something expected, even loss of calm and security. And there’s so much worse things to mourn or have lost right now. But when I don’t have that calm perspective I’m just angry at how much harder it has been to get this baby home healthy than it feels like it ought to have been.

How are you guys doing today? I had several really good days but am feeling sad and weepy today. Making it a point to go for a walk at lunchtime and quitting work at 4pm and getting outside again.

I ordered a baby scale yesterday so I don't have to stress about leaving the house for weight checks. Will probably sew some masks this weekend so I have something for my 36 week appointment and delivery. At least that will feel productive.

@SweetCaroline: I honestly thought I was doing pretty good until this afternoon. I started disallowing my kids to play with their neighbors a week ago and it has been really hard on all of us. I went for a solo walk this afternoon and came back to find that DH had let them go play because he didn’t think it was “worth enforcing.” I started out so mad but then broke down crying while I was cooking dinner. It made me realize how hard it is to be able to control nothing and be worried about so many possibilities. I’ve been trying to just take it one day at a time and do what I can but that sent me over the edge with how futile all my efforts could be. Sigh.

@Becky: eeek, that would have me so nervous. I hope everything magically clears up soon and you can dismiss it all as random

My scheduled c-section is tomorrow! I am so ready to have (at least some of) the worrying and waiting done with. So far the changes I've experienced are:
- pre-op appt at the hospital was cancelled. They gave me instructions over the phone and I just did a drive by to pick up a special electrolyte drink and antibacterial soap
- DH is allowed, but may not leave the building at all. We have to bring everything in with us when we check in. It does sound like he'd be allowed to receive a delivery though
- We'll receive a mask to wear whenever we're in the hall or working with providers
- There is no policy about getting people discharged early, but they are trying to speed things along when possible. So we may be there 2-3 or nights (3 is usually the standard for us)

Right now I'm just really grateful that my state and especially my county did a phenomenal job of flattening the curve. We have under 500 cases total in my county, no deaths and 2 fantastic large hospitals. So I don't feel like my hospitals are as overwhelmed as many, or as bad as they were initially predicting which is a huge relief.

@JennyPenny: same with my hospital, ever changing rules =confusion for hospital staff too. My hospital made dh go back to the car and bring the carseat base inside with us abd all the nurses were confused as to why we were all carrying in the bases. So I told them that they made us bring it in. They assume it's so that if the baby has to do a car seat challenge then we'd need the base to do so.

@maybebaby: the change in maternity leave was one of the first things I grieved too. I was so looking forward to a beautiful spring with just me and my baby girl most days. Hopefully enjoying the ease that comes with doing this for a 3rd time. Now I’ll be managing a 5 year old with distance learning requirements and a 3 yr old who has decided the quarantine is time to drop nap. My days are definitely not going to look how I had imagined.

Baby girl is here! I had a scheduled c-section this morning and so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the experience. I don’t feel like my care has been compromised in any way and I feel quite safe. Since we were brought to recovery we’ve only seen our 2 nurses, 1 pediatrician, and the staff that deliver meals. It’s actually been really nice not having any visitors at all. With my first 2 we had a ton of people visiting us in the hospital, so this is very relaxing. I do miss my older kids, but I think it’ll be super sweet when we’re all reunited again.