Experiencing pregnancy in the time of COVID-19: the stories of our mothers

Obligation to stay at home, fear of being infected, remote work, disrupted rhythms. How was the pandemic seen in pregnancy?

What does it mean for a woman, for a couple, to experience pregnancy in the time of the coronavirus?

The pandemic has upset rhythms and rituals.

He has overturned protocols, changed the references, undermined some certainties.

Pregnancy is a journey often made up of unknowns, especially for those facing it for the first time, it is a continuous learning and a continuous adaptation to the changes that our body undergoes. Living it in a period in which distances and closures reign is absolutely not easy.

Hugs are missing, close comparisons are missing, sharing with one’s parents and friends is missing.

Sure, video calls and videos help, as do forums like ours for expecting moms , but that’s not the same thing.

For this reason, from the stories and testimonies that have come down to us, terms such as sadness, bewilderment and fear recur. For having to go to visits alone, having to face the labor alone and not being able to participate in the preparatory courses.

This is not the case for all, because the restrictions vary from region to region: some regions have adopted very restrictive measures, especially in northern Italy where the number of infections has been very high.

If you want to add your experience, you can write it in the comments.

Thank you with all my heart.

Here Liguria

Alessandra writes to us from Genoa: Little has changed here in terms of exams, most hospitals and local health authorities (only the smaller or peripheral ones have closed) continue to guarantee exams during pregnancy as they are considered urgent.

Tomorrow I will do the glucose load curve and last month I did the routine exams, always in ASL, without any problems. Indeed, compared to the usual hour and a half in ten minutes I had done everything since I was the only user. The only difference is that they don’t let accompanying persons in, but they can wait in the lobby.

The same goes for gynecological visits, being private in my case there has been no change, he continues to receive me and my partner can assist. I know of many who had intramoenia or NHS gynecologists in the hospital/consultation who are instead having problems because they have currently suspended visits.
The biggest regret is not being able to do the prenatal course , I’m in the seventh month of my first pregnancy and I really wanted to.
Also for now dads can’t assist mom in hospital in any way, if she’s in labor dad can walk her to the door then she has to leave. He will assist in the birth via tablet via video call and will see mother and son again on discharge. Sooooo sad. 

I hope things go back quickly. Just think that I haven’t seen my parents for two months and they still haven’t seen me with a belly that has exploded only in the last month. This makes me very sad when I dwell on it. “

Here Friuli

Jessica, writes us from Friuli “ Mine is a physiological pregnancy but in this period some things have changed. I did the 3rd trimester ultrasound completely alone and with the mask on. My husband had to stay out of the hospital missing a beautiful ultrasound where I also witnessed a yawn of my baby.
They canceled the preparatory course that we so much wanted to do together.

And in some things we will certainly find ourselves unprepared.
I was doing a course for pregnant women in the pool and suddenly they suspended me. It was my only physical activity and I loved being in the warm water and feeling it move happily.
I had to do all the visits for a possible epidural but they canceled everything. If I need it at the time of labor they will treat me as an emergency delivery.
These drastic changes caught me unprepared . And if things don’t change I’ll find myself alone even during childbirth. Maybe my husband will be there but no visits from grandparents who are suffering as much as I am.”

Dalila is in her second pregnancy, in Trieste where visits are proceeding regularly. At the checkpoint “ she enters alone, mask, gloves and usual distance, but everything goes smoothly. My only concern is that they don’t let my husband in during the birth, I know that today they are called in only at the time of expulsion, so the whole labor is “alone”. I have the deadline at the end of June, I still hope things improve and change.

Here Sicily

Sharon writes us “ I’m at 26+6 and up to now I haven’t missed any checks or analyses! Tomorrow I have to do the loading curve while next Thursday I have a routine check-up at my gynecologist, with ultrasound, which my husband will also be able to attend”

Here Tuscany

Alessia tells us” Hi everyone, I’m 24+4, I’m from Tuscany and I haven’t missed a visit or an exam. On Wednesday I have a periodic check-up with my gynecologist and I really hope they let my husband in too since the morphology done in the hospital didn’t let him in”

Veronica is experiencing a twin pregnancy : “Hi, I’m 31 weeks old and I’ve carried out all the checks and tests through the hospital and USL. Only there are no more prepared courses, being on my first twin pregnancy , I feel a bit lost “

Here Lazio

Here Abruzzo

Here Veneto

Giusy. “ Hi, I’m 31 + 5…just had an accretion echo yesterday, but unfortunately no one could be present.. Not even my dad.. I had to go alone .”

Jessica : “It’s 30+3. I’m able to do visits, ultrasounds, exams on time.. I’m happy because with a regional ordinance dads can assist… The only thing that makes me anxious is the fact that I can’t take pre-natal courses “

Marta: ” I’m 21+3 and by going to a private clinic I can make all the visits and tests scheduled for the month “.

Here Lombardy

The management depends a lot on the hospital.

Silvia from Cremona writes to us ” I have a risky pregnancy, I’m 30 weeks old. I’m having exams and ultrasounds every week. Not knowing if your partner will be able to attend the birth when ISS and WHO say it is right that they can attend is a tragic and intractable thing. “

Crisalide “I’m 32+3, I changed gynecologist because the one who looked after me could no longer receive privately, luckily I found a smart one who works privately in the same municipality as me and also works in the hospital where I intend to give birth. Thank you for being on my second pregnancy because if it had been the first, between missed prenatal courses, missed visits, fear every time you go for an exam, etc., it would have been harder . Luckily in the hospital where I plan to give birth, dad can attend the birth and visit 1 hour in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, even if I cross my fingers and hope that all this nightmare is over by the end of May.”

Valeria from Como : “ Hello everyone! I’m at 31+3. I haven’t missed any checkups or visits so far. I had the pertussis vaccine at the beginning of the month, while we are following the prenatal course online. On April 28 I have the last ultrasound from my gynecologist, and in mid-May tests for epidural and streptococcus swab, with ECG and blood tests in the hospital… In short, everything is proceeding according to plan. Good luck to all!”

Francesca: “ I am 34+2 and I live in Lombardy. I skipped the pertussis vaccine because the ASL suspended all vaccinations, except those for children, and I skipped a checkup with the gynecologist. I still did the flowmetry in due course. To date, in the hospital in Lecco there is no preliminary interview with the anesthetist, if possible it is done at the time of admission. They will always swab for covid19 at the hospital. The father can only assist in the expulsion phase and cannot enter during labor and hospitalization.

Michela from Brescia: ” Hi, I’m 22 weeks old… I haven’t missed any visits. I did the curve yesterday and I’ll do the morphology on Monday.”

Auri: Hi, I’m at 36+3 and up until now I haven’t missed any checks. In fact, tomorrow I have the last swab, anaesthesiological and ultrasound visits. The only thing that has changed is that I can’t go accompanied. My husband has to stay out, but anyway the obstetrics department works as before”

Here Belgium

Diletta writes to us from across the border : “ I live in Belgium and I’m 33 weeks old (second pregnancy)…. my gynecologist has suspended all hospital visits and receives only in private practice, reducing the number of meetings to a minimum (which you have to go alone). He only makes the following visits: early pregnancy, 12 weeks, 22 weeks, 32 weeks, 35 + 39 weeks…. for now everything is going well, here the companion can attend the birth and the standard hospital stay is 3 nights (5 with caesarean section) “

Michela has infected us with her positivity, despite all the difficulties

“ It is my first pregnancy and due to some of my health problems I am followed by the obstetric pathology department of the Ponte hospital in Varese.

Checkups and ultrasounds are all performed regularly, especially in the case of particular pregnancies like mine, also for further in-depth examinations.
The baby is fine but they have to keep me monitored. 

Unfortunately dad can’t come in and see our little girl, he can’t even stay in the waiting room. But we very much hope that you will be able to be present during the birth 

I have two pregnant friends, one followed privately and another from the hospital in Tradate (Va) and they too continue to make scheduled visits and exams. 
I was on maternity leave even before the Coronavirus emergency and often in bed due to my problems, so in this sense little has changed for me, but obviously this situation is alarming and very sad indeed. But I feel calm and I’m enjoying this immense gift that life has given us to the fullest