COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions about Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery (2023)

Yes, there is evidence that the benefits of a COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks for pregnant women.¹The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19.

There are many reasons why pregnant women should be vaccinated against COVID-19:

• Pregnancy increases your risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19. These risks are higher in pregnant Black and Hispanic women.^1,2
• Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at higher risk of complications such as preterm labor.¹
• Vaccination during pregnancy produces antibodies that can be passed on to your baby. These antibodies could protect your baby from COVID-19.¹

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you can get any FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine available to you. The CDC has found no safety concerns for pregnant women or their babies. There is also no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines can cause fertility problems.¹However, all women under the age of 50 should be aware of the rare risk of developing thrombosis with thrombocytopenic syndrome (TTS) after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and that there are other FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines.

Speak to your care team if you have concerns about obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine.

Your safety is our top priority. To give you more care options, we have expanded the availability of virtual visits for prenatal and postnatal care so you can be cared for from home.

What awaits you:

• Your care team will advise you when you should come for an in-person visit and when a phone or video visit is appropriate.* This decision is based on the stage of your pregnancy and your health.
• If a phone or video visit* is recommended but you would like to be seen in person for health reasons, please let us know and we will see you in person.
• Group care appointments have been changed to face-to-face visits for individuals or online visits for groups.
• Your care team may ask you to take additional steps to get settled at home, such as: B. checking your weight or blood pressure.
• Your care team will tell you what symptoms to look out for so you know when to call us or come for care right away.

Your prenatal appointments are an important part of your pregnancy care and we will continue to provide that care safely as we respond to the pandemic.

*When appropriate and available.

If you come to an appointment, stick to them

.Wear a mask over your mouth and nose and stay at least 6 feet away from others whenever possible.

Our face-to-face prenatal education courses are now available online at most of our facilities. Your mentoring team can provide you with the online course information and registration links. We also have other online resources available to help you prepare:

• labor and delivery
• honey 101
• Tips for your partner
• breastfeeding
• Video: breastfeeding your newborn
• Video: Infant Sleep Safety

If you havework sign, your waters break, or you don't feel the baby moving, contact the Labor and Childbirth Department at your Kaiser Permanente facility for advice, or go to the hospital.

When you arrive at the hospital, someone will ask about your symptoms and may take your temperature. If you have a cough, fever, or shortness of breath, let them know.

If you are in good health and had an uneventful birth, we will try to get you back to the safety of your home as soon as possible. If your delivery is by cesarean section, we have developed early recovery protocols to get you home faster. Getting home quickly and safely protects you and your baby.

When it's time to go to the hospital to have your baby, your care team will take extra precautions to keep you and your newborn safe:

• Depending on the prevalence of COVID-19 in your area, you may be tested for COVID-19 upon admission to the hospital or prior to a scheduled caesarean section or induction.
• Patients who have or are suspected of having COVID-19 isolate themselves from other patients to prevent infecting others.
• Masks are compulsory for all employees and visitors of the hospital.
• Employees and visitors are met and pre-screened by greeters at the entrances to our medical facilities.
• we followInfection control practicesto prevent the spread of the virus. This includes your labor and delivery team.
• Visitors must follow your hospital's latest visitor policy. To find our visitor policy, visit theCare during the COVID-19 outbreakpage, select your region and scroll down to the "Changes to our Visitor Policy" section.

We are following the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health authorities and our infectious disease experts. If you have not had a fever or any symptoms of COVID-19 for 10 days after a positive test, you are no longer at risk of infecting other people. Once this 10-day isolation window has passed, you should go to all your appointments as instructed. If you are still within this 10 day window, please let your care team know so they can explore with you care options via phone or video*.

*When appropriate and available

You should take your baby to scheduled doctor visits. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you continue visiting your child and immunizing your baby. These healthy baby visits generally occur in the following order after birth: 2-3 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months.

To protect you and your child, we have established dedicated pediatric care areas to limit your exposure to the virus. Before your appointment, you will be screened by phone for symptoms of COVID-19. If you and your child are not showing any symptoms, you will most likely be scheduled for an in-person visit. However, if you experience symptoms between the time you make the appointment and the visit, you should reschedule the appointment. Due to the pandemic, we may also ask that only one parent or caregiver bring the child to the appointment. However, during your baby's first month, another adult may accompany you to your baby visit.

It is natural for us to feel stressed and anxious as we face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some ways you can control those feelings:

• Online self-help resources— Find a variety of articles, tips, and audio activities to help you with anxiety, stress, and parenting.
• therapy and counseling— Call your care team if stress interferes with your daily activities for several days in a row.

If you need additional support to manage your stress and anxiety, please let your care team know. We'll help you connect to care.

Healthy relationships and a safe home environment are very important to you and your baby during pregnancy and after birth. If you do not feel safe at home or feel threatened by your partner, please contact us or call 911 for immediate help.

Here are some ways to get help:

• Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for immediate assistance. Help is available in more than 200 languages ​​by calling1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)and via online chat atlalinea.org.
• Talk to your Kaiser Permanente provider about violence or relationship issues. For non-urgent issues or support, you can call us 24/7 for advice or email your provider's office. Your care team will connect you to resources and help you develop a safety plan.
• check themyPlan-Appand Website Developed by the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and endorsed by the providers of the Kaiser Permanente Family Violence Prevention Program, the app is an online tool designed to help people experiencing relationship abuse.
• ClickHereto learn more about intimate partner violence, types of domestic violence, signs of domestic violence, how to get help, and more.
• You will be screened for intimate partner violence, substance abuse and depression during your pregnancy. All of your answers will be treated in the strictest confidence and you should feel free to answer the questions as honestly as possible.

If a mother tests positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19, we may recommend that mother and baby remain in separate rooms or at least 6 feet apart. As more information is uncovered about the risk factors for COVID-19 in newborns, there are still many unknowns. What we currently know:³

• Newborns can contract the virus if they have been in close contact for a long time with someone who has the virus, even if that person is asymptomatic.
• Most newborns who tested positive for the virus had mild symptoms, if any, and made a full recovery.
• While some newborns have tested positive for the virus after birth, it's unclear whether they were exposed to the virus during pregnancy or during childbirth.

There is currently no information on the long-term health effects of babies with COVID-19 or those exposed to the virus during pregnancy.

During your pregnancy, it is important that you and those living with or visiting you take steps to protect yourself from contracting COVID-19. You can follow the CDC-recommended safety precautions for people with and without the COVID-19 vaccine. Please take a look...

.

If you are pregnant and have a positive COVID-19 test or have been diagnosed with COVID-19, either at Kaiser Permanente or at a location outside of Kaiser Permanente,You do not have to go into labor to be examined.Stay at home and isolate yourself from other members of your household as much as possible. See below for when to call Kaiser Permanente or see a doctor.

If you have been tested at Kaiser Permanente,Your care team will receive a copy of your positive test results. If your OB/GYN department has not contacted you within 72 hours of receiving your positive result, please message your nursing team viakp.org/getcareto inform them that you are COVID-19 positive. We will review your Electronic Medical Record to determine any possible next steps or additional treatments required.

If you have been tested at home or away from Kaiser Permanente and it is positive,Please send a message to your support teamkp.org/getcareto inform them that you are COVID-19 positive. We will review your Electronic Medical Record to determine any possible next steps or additional treatments required.

Offers

There are outpatient treatments for COVID-19, including new drugs, that may be appropriate for some pregnant patients with COVID-19. Your care team will let you know if they are available and if you should receive them.

additions

Pregnant women should continue to take recommended supplements such as prenatal vitamins and calcium during pregnancy.

There is no evidence to support or discredit the use of vitamin C, zinc, or vitamin D.
melatonin shouldNOused in pregnancy.

Existing medication recommended during pregnancy

Pregnant women should take other recommended medications during pregnancy.

While you are recovering at home, continue to monitor your illness. If your condition worsens, seek immediate medical attention by calling your healthcare team. Tell them you have COVID-19. If you are asked to go to the medical center, wear your mask and tell the staff immediately that you have COVID-19.

If you're less than 20 weeks pregnant, you may be referred to emergency care or the emergency room.

If you are 20 weeks or more pregnant, labor and delivery may be indicated.

Call us if you develop life-threatening symptoms like shortness of breath, constant chest pain, or bluish lips or face911and tell them you have COVID-19. If possible, put on your mask before help arrives.

As with any illness, it is best to stay isolated until all of your symptoms have improved and you are feeling well. If you have any questions, please speak to your care team to confirm if it is safe to break home isolation.

Due to the current COVID-19 risk, the CDC is continually updating its travel recommendations. We encourage you to read and consider these recommendations before travelling. Please take a look...

for the latest updates.

While you look forward to introducing your new bundle of joy to your friends and family, it's more important to keep your baby safe and healthy. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• To protect your baby, we recommend that you and others close to your baby get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Limit personal visits and gatherings, even if people are vaccinated. It is best to limit the number of people touching or holding your baby. Instead of visiting in person, consider making video calls or sharing photos online with friends and family.
• When visitors come, whether vaccinated or not, they are required to wear a mask, wash their hands with soap and water, use hand sanitizer frequently and keep a minimum distance of 6 feet.
• Nobody with a cough, runny nose or fever should visit the baby.
• Consider the risks of transmitting COVID-19 to you and your baby before deciding to engage in any activity other than doctor visits or childcare. When you go out, keep your baby six feet away from people who do not live in your household.

There is evidence that breast milk is unlikely to transmit the virus to babies, andBreastfeeding is considered safe..³

If you have COVID-19 or are waiting for test results, be very careful not to give your baby:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before touching the baby.
• Wear a face mask while breastfeeding.
• If you use a breast pump, wash your hands before touching any pump or bottle parts and follow recommendations for properly cleaning the pump after each use.

By taking these important safety precautions, you'll help keep your baby healthy and bonded during this special time.

The most important thing you can do is keep your child at home and away from others. Because COVID-19 can have the same symptoms as many viruses, including the flu, you should keep your child away from high-risk adults (even if you're not sure if your child has COVID-19) until they're symptom-free by age 72 Hours. This includes keeping your child as far away as possible from people over the age of 65, people with chronic illnesses and people who are pregnant.

Nurture your child as you would someone with a typical cough or cold. Cold and cough medicines are not recommended for children under 6 years old. If you are concerned about your child's illness or if the symptoms are moderate or severe or do not go away, please contact usCall your care team.

If you think you have a medical emergency, call911or go to the nearest hospital. Please refer to your Proof of Coverage or other Documents of Coverage for the full definition of a Medical Emergency.

Don't forget to keep up with your child's immunizations, which protect against a variety of preventable diseases. This year, more than ever, getting the flu shot is an essential way to ensure your child doesn't contract a life-threatening respiratory disease.