Pregnancy checks during the covid pandemic

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, people are asked to carry out self-quarantine and implement it social distancing. However, pregnant women are one group that is constrained in this regard, especially because they need to carry out routine prenatal checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pregnancy examination is very necessary to monitor the health of the fetus and mother. On the other hand, pregnant women are certainly at risk of contracting coronavirus from positive patients when they go to a clinic or hospital. If so, when is the right time to have a pregnancy checkup in the midst of a pandemic and how are the rules to be safe?

Should pregnant women postpone checkups?

Source: Very Well Mind

Pregnancy checks in the midst of a pandemic are basically making mothers vulnerable to contracting COVID-19. In fact, just going outside the house actually increases the risk of pregnant women being exposed to the virus, especially if the mother is sick.

If the pregnancy progresses smoothly without complications, the best option for you is to stay at home. You can postpone the interval of examinations, for example, which had to be once a month to every two months.

The delay is of course based on the advice of the obstetrician who has been examining your condition. So, you need to consult first.

The doctor will consider your health, fetal development, and the presence or absence of complications.

While at home, you can consult a doctor via chat or telephone. Keep the doctor's contact and the location of the nearest hospital in case an emergency occurs such as bleeding, a tight feeling of the stomach, or the fetus does not move.

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Meanwhile, pregnant women with complications are advised to carry out routine prenatal checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and the like can be dangerous and should be monitored more frequently.

The same is true for immunization. Immunizations should be carried out according to schedule, especially for the second and subsequent vaccines and vaccines booster. However, the first time the vaccine can be tailored to suit your situation.

When is the best time to have a pregnancy checkup?

Every pregnancy is unique and every mother faces different conditions. So, it is not easy to determine the best timing for all mothers.

The way to determine it is with the consideration of the doctor who previously examined you.

If your last checkup was this month, for example, the doctor already knows what to expect at the next checkup next month.

Provided there are no complications, monitoring may be postponed for up to two or three months thereafter.

The exact time of examination depends on the condition of the mother and baby. However, as a general rule of thumb, first trimester examinations may be spaced out.

Once entering the final trimester, checkups need to be more routine because there are preparations for labor, including screening COVID-19 for pregnant women.

If testing is postponed, what are the risks to the mother and the fetus?

There are risks in postponing prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the risk of the mother contracting COVID-19 is just as great. Pregnant women can then transmit the virus to medical personnel or their families at home.

The first risk is that you cannot monitor fetal development. This means that the fetus may be malnourished. There may be changes in the fetus that are not recognized because you cannot do an ultrasound.

In addition, the conditions in your body may also change, but doctors cannot detect it except with a blood test. This is why postponement of testing only applies to uncomplicated pregnancies.

Second, when there is an emergency, medical treatment for the mother is also risky. This is because the mother did not have time to undergo it screening or supporting examination.

Surgery or emergency delivery can have a big impact on both the mother and the fetus.

Prevent contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy checks

Prevention of COVID-19 in pregnant women is actually the same as prevention in general.

If the mother really has to do prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some tips to reduce the risk of transmission:

• Don't carry unnecessary items. In fact, you shouldn't even need to take your phone to the examination room.
• Use a private vehicle when going to the hospital.
• Always use a mask. You can wear a cloth mask, as long as you wear it properly and don't touch it.
• Wash hands before admission and after discharge from hospital.
• Once you get home, immediately take a shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes.

Screening it is equally important to prevent transmission. The reason is, sometimes pregnant women get infected from patients without symptoms and are not aware that they have also been infected. Screening can prevent transmission to medical personnel or newborns.

So far, there is no evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can pass directly from the mother's body to the fetus. However, mothers can transmit COVID-19 to their babies through childbirth and breastfeeding.

Medical personnel can also catch COVID-19 if they do not wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while assisting with childbirth.

This is why mothers have to get tested screening COVID-19 first in the final trimester of pregnancy.

What should pregnant women do before delivery?

There are many preparations that pregnant women must do before childbirth. Therefore, pregnancy checks in the final trimester still need to be carried out routinely even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every time you go for a pregnancy check-up, always take precautions and maintain personal hygiene. Pregnant women and husbands should not travel if it is not too important, except to get medical treatment.

Save the contact of the doctor who examined you as well as the address of the nearest hospital for delivery. Consult a doctor whenever there are signs of labor. Also be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 and other changes in your body.

Prepare alternative routes if the roads around your house are closed during large-scale social distancing (PSBB). Apart from these steps, the process of pregnancy and childbirth can actually run normally.

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly has a big impact on pregnant women, especially when it comes to prenatal care.

I myself hold that if the situation is possible, then the mother should be in control. If not, the mother can still monitor her condition at home.

The key is to see the health of the mother and fetus and regularly consult a doctor even if only through chat.

In this way, you can maintain fetal development while reducing the risk of transmitting COVID-19.

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