Delivering During A Pandemic: The Essentials

Photo by Zach Lucero on Unsplash

Your due date is around the corner and a chill runs down your spine when you think about the ongoing pandemic such as the Covid 19 at present times. It is very normal and obvious to be apprehensive about a lot of things in case your due date is coinciding with the lockdown phase.  There are separate isolation wards and almost a separate section of the hospital is dedicated to care for the pandemic affected as well as suspected cases. There are a few things which you can keep in mind to cope up with such times.

Prefer to book a private room in a private hospital

One thing which can be done is you can pre book a private room at the hospital where you are delivering in advance. Do not mind paying extra even if you have to book the room for an additional day or two.  Though the hospital staff will look after the sanitisation part you can be doubly sure by carrying your own sanitizers and sanitising locally the fomites. You can carry your own bed spread as well as blankets for yourself as well as the attendant which can be donated behind when you leave with your little bundle of joy.  This will spare you of sanitizing that stuff back home.   Unlike a shared ward, besides giving you all the much-deserved privacy, the private room will limit the movement of staff and attendants.

Personal protective gear

Do not forget to carry your own protective masks, sanitizers, hand rubs, disposable tissues, gloves etc. to tackle your exposure to the hospital environment. This is important for the mommy to be as well as the family attendant staying along.

Carry your own utensils

Though majority of the hospitals provide in house meals for the patient as well as the attendant, do not forget to carry your own utensils and preferably your own food.  Prefer getting your own food from your home and can be eaten in those utensils as well.  Disposables are a good option but glass, china ware and steel are a safe option and no hassles are involved in their cleaning unlike the disposal issue of the disposables.

Keep the Baby and Mumma’s stuff in the bag

Though storing stuff in the hospital storage is a good idea but hey, not at the time of a pandemic. Keep the stuff in the suitcase/bag you have carried to the hospital. This will limit the exposure of the stuff to fomites. Do not carry extra stuff for the Mumma as well as the baby. Stick to minimalism. Carry small packs/amounts of baby products which are enough to be used during the hospital stay (depending on the mode you deliver-normal/C-section). Carry only a few clothes so that there is minimum exposure to the hospital environment. The rest of the new clothes can be adored when the baby arrives home. The set of clothes changed should be wrapped properly and sent home for immediate washing and sterilization.

Avoid guests

You are delivering is probably  a big news for family and friends but when you are delivering during a pandemic make sure you avoid guests or visitors as it is not good for you, the baby as well as for the visitor. So, prefer using your social handles to get the news to your near and dear ones.

Practice hygiene

Practice hygiene, especially hand hygiene as much as possible during your entire stay at the hospital and even thereafter. Once you deliver, make sure you handle your baby with clean hands all the time. You have delivered your bundle of joy who has arrived from a sterile environment inside your body, so no taking any chances.

Happy delivering ladies!

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Dr.Loveleen works as Researcher in Ludhiana.  She has an expertise in Food  Microbiology. She is a mother to a beautiful five year old girl. Writing is her passion and she has also authored a Text Book of Microbiology besides several international articles. Connect with her at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luvlinsarao?r=nametag, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveleensarao

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