When hearing “Congratulations, you’re pregnant!” or something of the like, you’d think that’s positive, exciting news. Unfortunately, during COVID-19, it can carry a mix of emotions. I found this out firsthand in June 2020 when I found out I was expecting during this global pandemic. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s still exciting and a fantastic, life-changing event but for a first-time mom, hearing you’re pregnant during this time can be a little daunting.

Let’s think of some things that are different during this time that other mothers didn’t necessarily experience during their previous pregnancies.

Not knowing if your spouse or partner will be allowed to go to doctor appointments with you.
Not being familiar with the risks of COVID-19 to yourself or your baby if you do in fact get diagnosed with the virus during pregnancy.
Having to be even more cautious because your immune system is more compromised during these nine months.
Having to tell your immediate family they can’t visit you or the baby in the hospital after delivery due to COVID-19 practices. Also being even more cautious as to who visits your home to see the baby due to safety concerns.
Deciding what kind of baby shower to have for your first child, whether that’s a drive-by house event, Zoom or a small, in-person event with close friends and family.
Interviewing a pediatrician candidate is different as some offices are not offering these appointments at all during the pandemic. Luckily, we were able to find a nearby doctor still doing the prenatal appointments, and we found her practices to align with our parenting ideals.
Finding childcare for our baby has also been deeply impacted. Due to COVID-19 practices, we’re not allowed to tour any nearby facilities or meet any teachers in person. Both my husband and I have joined Zoom calls for tours and to “interview” the possible teachers, but that’s a stretch when you’re talking about a caretaker for your infant, especially as a nervous first-time parent.
Being required to wear a mask during delivery is a very likely situation that sounds awful to most.
Speaking of delivery, the fact that most, if not all, in-person educational classes for parents have been canceled or moved to Zoom. This is nerve-wracking for both myself and my husband. We’ve been scouring YouTube looking for reliable information to help prepare us for best practices in the delivery room. This includes pre-labor details, Lamaze breathing techniques, what the support person can do to assist, etc. Even hospital tours have been canceled, so basically everything we will encounter during the last stage of pregnancy will be the unknown.
What’s been the most beneficial during this challenging time? Surprisingly, stories of first-hand experiences from close relatives or friends. I say surprisingly, because a lot of times hearing stories from others isn’t always helpful as every body and delivery is different, and some people’s philosophies do not align with your own. But when you are left to scrounge for information on your own, this can, in turn, be very helpful. Well, along with consulting your doctor, of course.

Another resource that has helped tremendously during this pandemic has been joining Facebook groups for support from other women going through the same thing. I was lucky to find a group of 200+ women located across the globe, all pregnant and due in March who share their experiences, ask questions and for advice, and lend support in general. Some of the women are like me and are expecting for the first time, some are on babies two, three or more and can lend some great advice. Other women are actually sonogram technicians or in the industry, and can provide answers when you can’t reach your doctor’s office. Now, sometimes you have to use your best judgment, and take the advice with a grain of salt as it’s not all medical advice coming from a doctor’s office. However, it’s been incredibly helpful for navigating this world when many resources you’d normally use have been removed due to the pandemic.

Overall, it’s been a tricky and somewhat scary experience navigating pregnancy for the first time during this unprecedented global pandemic. Ultimately though, the excitement of having my first baby hasn’t been lessened, and my husband and I are just as excited to welcome this new baby boy into our lives now as ever. We just have to be more cautious and rely on others a little more than we probably would have while not in COVID-19 times.

Expecting During COVID-19