Giving birth in the times of the coronavirus

More than ever, pregnant moms are anxious about giving birth due to the spread of the coronavirus. Mothers are worried about whether they will contract Covid-19 during their stay in the hospital during delivery and their newborn babies’ safety. Whatever the case, their worries are warranted. With the health care system previously under strain, most moms-to-be are worried whether they will get the care they deserve during their stay in hospital as resources are stretched. As a result, many women are reconsidering whether to give birth at a hospital – a potential hotspot for Covid-19 infections.

Don’t worry

Dr Howard Manyonga, an obstetrician and Head of The Birthing Team, an affordable maternity programme, explains that while our nurses and doctors are working on the frontline to curb the spread of Covid-19 across the country, other health professionals continue to care for patients who are not infected with the virus. “In the field of obstetrics and maternal care, we carry the weight of caring for two patients, mom and baby, at a time where the healthcare system is experiencing severe constraints. Midwives have had to change how they work to further care for expectant mothers during the pandemic,” Dr Manyonga explains.

Strict measures to limit the transmission of the virus

Many hospitals are vigilant and have introduced measures to limit the spread of the virus. These include cutting down the length and frequency of in-person antenatal visits, restricting birth partners in the labour ward, adhering to a no-visitor policy, and isolating the baby from the mother at birth.

Elective Caesars unnecessary 

The number of women giving birth by means of a Caesarean section is incredibly high, even before the pandemic (with South Africa having one of the highest C-section rates globally). If not medically indicated, the procedure unnecessarily consumes significant Personal Protective Equipment per procedure, which could be directed towards more frontline workers. So as a mom-to-be, it is only fair to agree to a Caesar if and when necessary.

Limiting exposure

Most hospitals have armed their midwives with the training, facts, and information to fully prepare themselves to feel confident and comfortable in their daily tasks. Midwives are using all available technology solutions to stay in touch with patients, including telephony and social media platforms. Since antenatal classes can no longer take place, many are volunteering their services and advice over Zoom calls and WhatsApp groups. “Telehealth has many advantages, including keeping patients safe from possible exposure to the virus and improving access to care during the lockdown,” says Dr Manyonga.

The way forward

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that there is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of Covid-19 to pregnant women or mother-to-child transmissions. Still, moms are worried about delivering in hospitals. Therefore, in the future, Dr Manyonga says we may see a pivot towards out of hospital services and the rise of community-based midwives to care for expectant mothers.

“The Birthing Team has built the foundation to enable rapid adaptation and scale-up of a team-based care model. We can utilise community-based healthcare workers, including doulas and midwives, to exploit the system’s possibilities arising from regulatory changes. Additionally, we can enable the use of telehealth to drive affordable, value-based maternity care.”