January 27, 2020, is a date that I will never forget. It’s the date my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first child. We have been trying for more than a year. I was so used to seeing one line on the pregnancy test that when I looked down from the toilet and it finally showed two lines, I screamed on the inside with disbelief and ran to my husband. The initial celebration was stifled though, as we both immediately started googling the chances that the result could be a false positive. It was as if happiness was walking on a tightrope, ready to fall at any time. It wasn’t until I got a Big Fat Positive on my blood test a few days later that the reality finally settled in. I decided at that point, I am going to protect this baby with everything I have.
It was no easy feat.
Around this time, COVID-19 began to take on full force and dental offices began to shut down in all aspects except to see emergency patients. Being a dentist, I not only have to cope with the nasty pregnancy symptoms of the first trimester, I now have an added task of protecting both of us from the virus.
Coronavirus is a respiratory disease, making dentists at high risk when aerosols and splattering are constantly aimed at the face during procedures.
Besides temperature checks, there was no other way for a dentist to determine if an emergency patient is positive for COVID-19. Patients could not afford the time needed to get tested first and then come back because dental infections travel. When they came in with swollen faces, all I could do was put on my mask and say a little prayer that my baby would be okay.
As I approached the second trimester, I stopped working altogether. My instincts told me it was safer to stop working temporarily as the amount of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) offered by the dental office became more and more scarce by the day. My husband started working from home around this time due to the stay-at-home order in Los Angeles County. Before this, my husband and I did not live together. The location of his job required him to have a 3-hour one-way commute if he wanted to come home every night. To make things simpler, we saw each other only on weekends for the three years that we’ve been married. Many would say it’s bizarre, but as humans, we adapted.
During the quarantine, I got to experience what it was like to live like a married couple for the first time. We chatted during his lunch breaks, ate dinners together, and took long walks at night, dodging pedestrians left and right as we tried to keep the 6-feet social distance.
It was also during this period that I finally had time to reflect on myself and work on projects that I’ve always wanted to work on but never got a chance to.
Since graduating from dental school, I’ve worked relentlessly towards paying off my massive student loans without much time left to reflect. Working without reflection can be disastrous for the soul. Needless to say, I was grateful to have this time off to gain a higher perspective and regain a clearer direction.
During this time, regular prenatal appointments became a thing of the past.
Telephone appointments became the norm on visits where it’s not crucial to see me in person. During in-person visits, my husband was not allowed inside the hospital. He joked on how the closest he got in the hospital was the parking lot. The no-spouse policy posed some minor challenges for us. During our 20-week anatomy scan to determine the baby’s gender, I didn’t want to be alone for the reveal. The technician offered to write down the gender on a piece of paper and the gender reveal was done inside our car as we squealed over the reveal of our baby boy
Inside the hospital, temperature checks were done on every floor. When arriving at the waiting room upstairs, I noticed there were only two to three pregnant women.
What a strange time this is to be in.
At a time like this, pregnant women feel an increased responsibility to not only protect themselves but most importantly, the little ones inside them. We all wore masks, some even wore two. Instead of taking the elevator, we all chose to take the stairs, even if it meant panting breathlessly as we trudged up the stairs with our huge bellies and masks. I even saw a woman wear a full-body protection suit.
Photo by Anna Schvets on Pexel
Hospital tours were once a crucial event to prepare for delivery day, but have since been canceled.
In its replacement, virtual hospital tours became the norm, although the amount of value they provide is close to none. It became difficult to get in touch with someone to ask specific questions about delivery day. Guidelines change every day, and some staff are not certain themselves.
As of now, here are some of the most updated protocols in the hospital that I will be delivering.
As women check-in for delivery, they will be rapid-tested for coronavirus while they are evaluated to see if they have dilated enough to be admitted. The spouse is not allowed in the hospital at this point while she is being evaluated. Once admitted, the spouse can then come up to the Labor and Delivery ward after a temperature screen. Masks are to be worn at all times, even during pushing. During early labor, walking in the hallways is no longer allowed. The spouse has to be in the delivery room at all times, which means, if he forgets something in the car, better luck next time. And as expected, no visitors are allowed, period.
How do I plan to cope with all of this? Labor at home as much as possible before heading to the hospital and enjoy my last freedom.
In an attempt to document my journey with pregnancy, I hope I have provided some insight as to what it is like being pregnant during this time. Everyone’s experiences will be different, and everyone will cope with it in their own, unique way. Regardless, it doesn’t seem like COVID-19 will be going away anytime soon.
It’s important to realize things will be different.
However, these adaptations are minor compared to the benefits they create: the protection of ourselves and those around us. Whether you are indecisive about getting pregnant or are already pregnant, it’s important to sit back and enjoy the process. Regardless of COVID, pregnancy is a miraculous journey. The only solution is to make the best of it given the current situation.
Happiness comes from within.
Comment below if you found this article to be useful or at the very least, entertaining. I would love to hear your personal experiences with pregnancy during COVID-19.
If you liked this story, here’s another story you may enjoy
You Think Covid-19 is a Pandemic? Here’s Another Pandemic You Didn’t Know
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Previously published on “A Parent Is Born”, a Medium publication.
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