mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for all pregnant women on attending antenatal and postnatal care during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Can I still attend my antenatal/postnatal care appointments?
Your antenatal and postnatal appointments remain an important part of your
maternity care to provide checks and screening on your health and your baby’s
health. A member of the maternity team looking after you may call you before
your appointment, or carry out an assessment at entrance of the
clinic/hospital, or both, to check whether you have any symptoms that are
suggestive of coronavirus, or if you meet the current ‘stay at home’
guidance.
If you are advised to attend an appointment by your local maternity team, this
is because the need for the appointment to help reduce the risk of
complications for you and your baby is greater than your risk of being exposed
to coronavirus.
If you are well, you should be able to attend your appointments. You may be
asked to attend alone to protect your household from the risk of coronavirus.
You will be told about this by your local maternity service.
If you are currently self-isolating with suspected or confirmed symptoms of
coronavirus, and you have an appointment scheduled in the coming days, you
should telephone your continuity team or community midwife, or local maternity
unit, to inform them.
Your upcoming appointment will be reviewed by the maternity team looking after
you and your baby. You will then be advised whether your appointment is urgent
and a home appointment is required, or whether your appointment can be safely
delayed for a period of 7 or 14 days until you are well.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection
Q. Why would I be asked to self-isolate (as opposed to reducing social contact)?
You may be advised to self-isolate because:

You have symptoms of coronavirus, such as a high temperature or new, continuous cough, or loss or change in your sense of smell or taste
You have tested positive for coronavirus and you’ve been advised to recover at home
You have an elective caesarean birth or induction of labour planned and you have been asked to self-isolate prior to your admission to hospital
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection
Q. What do I do if I feel unwell or I’m worried about my baby during self-isolation?
Pregnant women who are self-isolating are advised not to attend maternity
units or A&E unless in need of urgent pregnancy or medical care.
If you have concerns about the wellbeing of yourself or your unborn baby
during your self-isolation period, contact your midwife or, out-of-hours, your
maternity team. They will provide further advice, including whether you need
to attend hospital.
If you are advised to go to the maternity unit or hospital, pregnant women are
asked to travel by private transport, or arrange hospital transport, and alert
the maternity unit reception once on site, before going into the hospital.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection
Q. How will I be cared for after I have recovered from coronavirus?
If you have confirmed coronavirus infection, as a precautionary approach, an
ultrasound scan will be arranged at least 2 weeks after your recovery, to
check that your baby is well.
If you have recovered from coronavirus and tested negative for the virus
before you go into labour, where and how you give birth will not be affected
by your previous illness. Visitor numbers may be restricted to promote
recommended social distancing but your birth partner will be able to be with
you, provided they are not unwell.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
General information and advice for all pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. What is the advice if I am in my first trimester/less than 12 weeks’ pregnant?
Even during the pandemic, it’s very important that if you have any concerns
about yourself or your pregnancy at any time, you contact your GP, midwife or
local early pregnancy unit straight
away to discuss them. Some symptoms, such as pelvic pain, cramping and/or
bleeding during early pregnancy, are linked to ectopic pregnancy and
miscarriage so you should seek urgent medical advice.
A telephone appointment will be arranged for you as soon as possible with your
local early pregnancy unit to check your symptoms. They will be able to advise
whether a visit to the hospital during the coronavirus pandemic is necessary,
and ensure you receive the care that you need.
Whilst hospitals are trying to minimise people entering in order to reduce the
spread of the coronavirus and to limit the impact on services, they are
organised in such a way that they are able to provide all acute services.
Find out more information on the changes to early pregnancy care
and what to expect during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for all pregnant women on attending antenatal and postnatal care during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. How many antenatal appointments will I have?
You will have at least six face-to-face antenatal appointments in total. Where
possible, essential scans/tests and routine antenatal care will be offered
within a single appointment. This is to prevent multiple journeys and visits
to clinics/hospital, and will involve contact with as few staff as possible to
prevent the spread of coronavirus to you, your family and other patients.
This may mean that your initial ‘booking in’ appointment will take place at
the same time as your 12-week (dating) scan.
You should be asked about your mental health at every appointment, whether in
person or via phone/video.
In the third trimester, you should be asked about your baby’s movements at
every appointment, whether in person or via phone/video.
All pregnant women should be provided with
information about group B
streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy and newborn babies.
Sometimes, you may need additional antenatal appointments and medical care.
This will depend on your individual medical needs. These appointments may be
carried out over the phone or via video, provided a physical examination or
test is not required. This will enable partners and other family/household
members to join you for support and allow social distancing to protect you and
your baby from coronavirus.
This may include:

Appointments with a specialist doctor
Extra blood tests
Support for your mental health
Discussion of plans for birth
Local provision of antenatal/parent education classes, infant feeding support and information on safe sleeping, pelvic floor exercises and birth choices
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Information for all pregnant women about childbirth choices and birth partners during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Will my birth partner be able to stay with me if I have a caesarean or instrumental birth that occurs in an operating theatre?
We fully support women having their birth partners with them during labour and
birth, unless they are unwell, when an alternative well birth partner can
attend.
Around one in four women in the UK has a caesarean birth. A caesarean may be
recommended as a planned (elective) procedure for medical reasons or as an
emergency – for example, if doctors and midwives are concerned that your baby
is not coping with labour and needs to be born immediately.
Furthermore, around one in five women in the UK has an instrumental birth
(ventouse or forceps). Some of these types of birth may also be recommended to
occur in an operating theatre in order to allow the maternity team to modify
plans and undertake a caesarean birth if necessary.
Most caesareans and instrumental births in theatre are carried out under
spinal or epidural anaesthetic, which means you’ll be awake, but the lower
part of your body is numb and you cannot feel any pain. In this situation,
everything will be done by the clinical staff – midwives, obstetricians and
anaesthetists – to keep your birth partner with you.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, staff in the operating theatre will be
wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of
infection, which will make it more difficult for them to communicate. To
enable the clinicians to assist in the birth of your baby safely, it’s really
important your birth partner follows the instructions from the maternity team
carefully and quickly.
Occasionally, a general anaesthetic (where you’re put to sleep) may be used,
particularly if your baby needs to be born urgently. During this type of
caesarean birth, even under more usual circumstances, for safety reasons it is
not possible for the birth partner to be present during the birth.
While the maternity team will do all they can to ensure that your birth
partner is present for the birth, there will be some occasions when there is a
need for an urgent emergency birth with epidural or spinal anaesthetic, and it
will not be possible for your birth partner to be present. This is because,
during an emergency, operating theatres are more high-risk environments in
terms of potential spread of coronavirus to everyone who is present.
If it is the case that your birth partner will not be able to be present
during the birth, your maternity team will explain this to you and will do
everything they can to ensure that your birth partner can see you and your
baby as soon as possible after the birth.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for all pregnant women on attending antenatal and postnatal care during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Why are changes to antenatal and postnatal care necessary during the coronavirus pandemic?
These changes are a way of ensuring we deliver the best care without
overloading our NHS services, which are crucial during the coronavirus
pandemic. This helps us to:

Reduce the number of people coming into hospitals where they may come into contact with other people and spread the virus
Ensure staff are not overwhelmed and stretched too far by the additional strain on services, which could be due to staff sickness and self-isolation as well as the higher numbers of patients needing care and overnight hospital stays due to coronavirus

This allows us to care for you and protect you from coronavirus while also
ensuring we protect our NHS staff and services.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Information for all pregnant women about childbirth choices and birth partners during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Will I be able to have my birth partner with me during labour and birth?
Yes, you should be encouraged to have a birth partner present with you during
labour and birth. Having a trusted birth partner present throughout labour is
known to make a significant difference to the safety and wellbeing of women in
childbirth.
If your birth partner has symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be allowed to
go into the maternity suite, to safeguard the health of the woman, other women
and babies, and the maternity staff supporting you.
In most hospitals and maternity units, there are now restrictions on visitors
which might mean that birth partners or other supportive people are not able
to attend routine antenatal appointments, or stay with women on antenatal or
postnatal wards. However, this should not impact on your birth partner’s
presence during your labour and the birth, unless they are unwell.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection
Q. Can I still attend my antenatal appointments if I am in self-isolation?
You should contact your midwife or antenatal clinic to inform them that you
are currently in self-isolation for possible/confirmed coronavirus and ask for
advice on going to routine antenatal appointments.
It is likely that routine antenatal appointments will be delayed until
isolation ends. If your midwife or doctor advises that your appointment cannot
wait, the necessary arrangements will be made for you to be seen. For example,
you may be asked to attend at a different time, or in a different clinic, to
protect others.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for all pregnant women on attending antenatal and postnatal care during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. What should I do if I develop a fever or temperature, or both, when I am pregnant?
If you develop a temperature or a cough, or both, in pregnancy, you can use
the NHS 111 or NHS 24 website to obtain advice about isolation, which you
should follow in line with current regulations. However, please also be alert
to the other possible causes of fever in pregnancy. In particular, these
include urine infections (cystitis) and waters breaking. If you have any
burning or discomfort when passing urine, or any unusual vaginal discharge, or
have any concerns about your baby’s movements, contact your maternity
provider, who will be able to provide further advice.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
General information and advice for all pregnant women during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. What effect does coronavirus have on pregnant women?
All available evidence suggests that pregnant women are at no greater risk of
becoming seriously unwell than other healthy adults if they develop
coronavirus. The large majority of pregnant women experience only mild or
moderate cold/flu-like symptoms. Cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache
and loss or change to your sense of smell or taste are other relevant
symptoms.
If you think you may have symptoms of coronavirus you should use the NHS 111
online service for information, or NHS 24 if in Scotland. If you develop more
severe symptoms or your recovery is delayed, this may be a sign that you are
developing a more significant chest infection that requires specialised care.
If you feel your symptoms are worsening or if you are not getting better, you
should contact your maternity care team, your GP, or use the NHS 111 online
service / NHS 24 for further information and advice. In an emergency, call
999.
While pregnant women are at no greater risk of becoming seriously unwell than
other healthy adults, a small proportion of pregnant women with coronavirus
have required admission to hospital for treatment.
In the UK, information about all pregnant women requiring admission to
hospital with coronavirus is recorded in a registry called the UK Obstetric
Surveillance System (UKOSS). The first
report from this study included information about the
outcomes of 427 pregnant women admitted to hospital with coronavirus and their
babies during the pandemic, and was published on 11 May. While most women in
the study required only ward treatment and were discharged home well, around
one in ten women required intensive care, and sadly five women with
coronavirus died, although it is currently unclear if coronavirus was the
cause of their death. The study found that the majority of women who did
become severely ill were in their third trimester of pregnancy, emphasising
the importance of social distancing from 28 weeks of pregnancy.
The study also found that pregnant women from black, Asian and minority ethnic
(BAME) backgrounds were more likely than other women to be admitted to
hospital for coronavirus. Pregnant women over the age of 35, those who were
overweight or obese, and those who had pre-existing medical problems, such as
high blood pressure and diabetes, were also at higher risk of developing
severe illness.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for pregnant women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection
Q. What should I do if I’m asked to self-isolate?
Pregnant women who have been advised to self-isolate should stay indoors and
avoid contact with others for 7 days. If you live with other people, they
should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection
outside the home.
The NHS guidance on self-isolation currently recommends people should:

Not go to school, work, NHS settings or public areas
Not use public transport
Stay at home and not allow visitors
Open windows to ventilate rooms
Separate themselves from other members of their household as far as possible, using their own towels, crockery and utensils and eating at different times
Use friends, family or delivery services to run errands, but advise them to leave items outside.

You may wish to consider online fitness routines to keep active, such as
pregnancy yoga or Pilates.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for all pregnant women on attending antenatal and postnatal care during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. Will I be able to bring someone with me to scans?
In most hospitals and maternity units, there are now restrictions on visitors
which might mean that birth partners or other supportive people are not able
to attend routine antenatal appointments, including scans, with you.
We encourage units to allow women to share the ultrasound scan experience with
their partner (or other family members and friends) by saving a short
10–30-second video clip of the baby at the end of the dating scan and/or
anomaly scan.
In the current pandemic situation, when women attend alone, virtual attendance
by partners or companions with online video calls, or the filming of the
dating scan and/or anomaly scan, is not recommended. While we understand this
may be disappointing, virtual attendance can be distracting to the sonographer
and prevent them from doing their job effectively.
We understand it may be upsetting if you are asked to come alone to a scan,
but this measure has been put in place to protect maternity staff, other women
and babies, and you and your family from the risk of infection. Scans are an
essential part of pregnancy care and it is important that you continue to
attend them for your and your baby’s wellbeing.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Information for all pregnant women about childbirth choices and birth partners during the coronavirus pandemic
Q. What is an antibody test – will I have this?
You may also have heard about antibody testing for coronavirus. This is a
blood test that can show whether you have previously come into contact with
the virus or not. It does this by detecting antibodies, which your body
produces if you have had coronavirus. This is called an immune response.
At present, this type of test is only being offered to NHS staff and some
individuals across the UK. It is hoped the results of these tests will help us
to understand how immunity to coronavirus works as we do not yet know how the
antibodies develop and how long immunity lasts for. Therefore, we do not
currently recommend that results from antibody tests are used when caring for
pregnant women.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection who have recently given birth
Q. Will I be able to breastfeed my baby if I have suspected or confirmed coronavirus?
Yes. There is no evidence showing that the virus can be carried or passed on
in breastmilk. The well-recognised benefits of breastfeeding and the
protection it offers to babies outweigh any potential risks of transmission of
coronavirus through breastmilk. Provided your baby is well and doesn’t require
care in the neonatal unit, you will stay together after you have given birth
so skin-to-skin and breastfeeding can be initiated and supported if you
choose.
The main risk of breastfeeding is close contact between you and your baby, as
if you cough or sneeze, this could contain droplets which are infected with
the virus, leading to infection of the baby after birth.
A discussion about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding should take place
between you and your family and your maternity team. This guidance may change
as knowledge evolves.
When you or anyone else feeds your baby, the following precautions are
recommended:

Wash your hands before touching your baby, breast pump or bottles
Try to avoid coughing or sneezing on your baby while feeding at the breast
Consider wearing a face mask while breastfeeding, if available
Follow recommendations for pump cleaning after each use
Consider asking someone who is well to feed your expressed breast milk to your baby.

If you choose to feed your baby with formula or expressed milk, it is
recommend that you follow strict adherence to sterilisation
guidelines. If you are expressing breast milk in hospital, a dedicated breast
pump should be used. Further information on infant feeding during the
coronavirus pandemic is available from
Unicef.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection who have recently given birth
Q. After the birth, is there any increased risk to me or my baby?
There is no evidence that women who have recently had a baby and are otherwise
well are at increased risk of contracting coronavirus or of becoming seriously
unwell. A recently pregnant woman’s immune system is regarded as normal unless
she has other forms of infection or underlying illness. You should however
remain well-nourished with a balanced diet, take mild exercise as you feel fit
and ensure social distancing guidance is followed. Children, including
newborns, do not appear to be at high risk of becoming seriously unwell with
the virus. However, close observation of hygiene, as always, is important and
particularly with family members resident in the house. Anyone who enters the
home should take standard hygiene precautions, including washing their hands,
and be careful about handling your baby if they have symptoms of any illness
including the coronavirus.
It is important that your baby is feeding well and gaining weight, and if you
have any concerns, please contact your midwife. Once restrictions are lifted,
we would caution against large family gatherings to celebrate your baby’s
arrival until more is known about the spread of the virus in the community.
Do not put off seeking medical advice if you have concerns about your baby’s
health during the pandemic. Seek medical advice if your baby has a fever,
lethargy, irritability, poor feeding or any other symptoms you may have
concerns about.
Coronavirus infection and pregnancy
Advice for women with suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection who have recently given birth
Q. Will I be able to stay with my baby/give skin-to-skin if I have suspected or confirmed coronavirus?
Yes, if that is your choice. Provided your baby is well and doesn’t require
care in the neonatal unit, you will stay together after you have given birth.
In some other countries, women with confirmed coronavirus have been advised to
separate from their baby for 14 days. However, this may have potential
negative effects on feeding and bonding.
A discussion about the risks and benefits should take place between you and
your family and the doctors caring for your baby (neonatologists) to
individualise care for your baby. This guidance may change as knowledge
evolves.