As a pregnant woman myself, my mind is all over the place on all the “what if’s” and overthinking everything possible and the COVID-19 pandemic has only escalated these thoughts.
Like any other pregnancy, not only do you have to worry about yourself, but your unborn child. And seeing that this virus is still so new and no one really has true answers on the effects this may have on a pregnant woman, makes me worry a little more.
One of my worst fears would be having to deliver my child alone, without my partner. I’m hoping it does not come down to this since I still have several months until I’m due but with everything going on you just don’t know what the next few weeks or months will bring. Some hospitals are following the World Health Organization recommendations regarding having a companion with you during the birth; however, some hospitals are taking their own measures for the safety of their patients. Due to the constant changes we are facing as a nation, the best way to find out what your hospital is doing is to contact them directly; policies are changing every day.
We recently shared Tips To Maintain a Positive Mindset, but below are some additional things to keep your mind off of everything going on in the world:
1. Stop reading those random articles!
I TRY to get all my information about the virus and how it affects pregnancy from the Center for Disease Control’s website and by consulting with my doctor. Social media definitely does not help at times since you tend to find a catchy title of an article and get sucked in. Avoid the clickbait and stay out of a wormhole of worry.
2. Stay healthy and active.
Take care of yourself and making sure your family does too. I’m teaching my daughter to sneeze and cough into her elbow rather than her hands and we’re constantly washing our hands. These little gestures will go a long way in keeping healthy. As for staying active, what more can I say other than I have a TODDLER. She keeps me on my toes for sure whether it’s from dancing to every princess song that comes on (over and over and over…), or chasing her around the house because she got into something. We also try to get some fresh air and take a walk (of course keeping social distancing in mind).
3. Breathe.
Easier said than done, I know. But take this time to maybe start the ‘nesting’ stage early. Maybe clean one thing a day that you never thought you’d get to because of juggling work-life between parent life. Cleaning makes me feel so good inside (even if it doesn’t last all day because my little one is home with me while I’m working). A for effort is what I say! This helps me get my mind off of everything going on.
4. Socialize Responsibly.
Stay connected with friends. Even though we’re stuck at home the majority of the time now doesn’t mean you can’t FaceTime or video chat with friends and family. Give a shout to your neighbors from across the street as you take your walks. Take the “old fashioned” route and send a homemade card to a friend or a loved one. Think outside of the box!
These are just a few things that are helping me alleviate some of my escalated pregnancy worries. I pray that by the time my new one makes his or her appearance into this world, that we have found some resolve to this pandemic. One thing is for sure, he or she will have one heck of a story about being born during the year the world changed and that he or she will be a part of bringing more love to my family’s world.
Written by Nicole Morales
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