Here at expecting and beyond, we know the struggles of trying to breastfeed and maintain all the safety measures necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are happy to share with you a great course to help provide you essential information to help you to provide your baby additional breastfeeding support during this pandemic.
This course is taught by a certified Nurse Midwife and Pediatric Nurse Practitioners who are experts in their fields and lactation specialists. All information is evidenced by from leading healthcare experts round the world.
Topics Include:
Benefits of breastfeeding during COVID-19
Keeping mom and infant safe during COVID-19
Best evidenced based and recommendations from leading experts
Though the overall risk of severe COVID-19 is low, pregnant people who contract the coronavirus face a higher chance of MISCARRIAGE, being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), receiving mechanical ventilation, or dying.
mRNA vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19 and, therefore, cannot give someone COVID-19. Also, mRNA vaccines do not interact with a person’s DNA because the mRNA does not enter the nucleus of the cell. Cells break down the mRNA quickly. Based on how mRNA vaccines work, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a specific risk for people who are pregnant.
However, the actual risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant person and her fetus are unknown because these vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women (CDC, 2020).
Ultimately, choosing whether or not to get the vaccine will be a personal decision for each pregnant person.
People who are pregnant may choose to be vaccinated.
A conversation between pregnant patients and their clinicians may help them decide whether to get vaccinated with a vaccine that has been authorized for use under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
The bottom line The COVID-19 vaccines, which use a technology called messenger RNA (mRNA), are thought to be safe in pregnant and lactating people.
Key considerations pregnant patients can discuss with their healthcare provider include:
The likelihood(or risk) of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19
Risks of COVID-19 to them and potential risks to their fetuses
What is known about the vaccine: how well it works to develop protection in the body, known side effects of the vaccine, and lack of data during pregnancy
Pregnant patients who decide to get vaccinated should continue to follow the current guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after they are vaccinated. That means:
Wearing a mask
Staying at least six feet away from others
Avoiding crowds
Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
Following quarantine guidance after exposure to COVID-19
There has been a lack of research with pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research is needed to have a better understanding of the challenges pregnant.
Indiana University researchers are studying pregnant women’s reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for a brief survey about you, past adversities, and how you are coping.
Our leading healthcare experts at Expecting and Beyond can help navigate those concerns and help to get your plans and desires into a wonderful birth plan with their birth plan consultations. This consultation will help guide the conversations with your healthcare providers helping you to achieve the birth plan of your desires to help achieve the birth you want. It is also a tool to use to start planning any alternatives that you may need to think about and consider as many healthcare providers and institutions are implementing new restrictions and changes to practices.
With promising news of a COVID-19 vaccine around the corner, many are relieved. This is not the case for pregnant women who can have worsening outcomes if the contract the virus and little is known on the effect the vaccine can have to the growing baby. For breastfeeding moms, this too is a concern, as little is known if this can transmit to the baby through breastmilk.
Many clinical trials on the vaccine have excluded this patient population due to safety concerns. Over the years safety measures have been put in place due to the lack of research conducted on pregnant women which has resulted in terrible consequences, such as pregnant women taking thalidomide during pregnancy resulting in significant fetal anomalies and taking DES during pregnancy which has resulted in significant reproductive anomalies and cancers in the off spring of moms who took it during pregnancy.
This has created a dilemma for pregnant women. The lack of pregnant women in clinical trials has resulted in safety issues. To help address this research can done in several ways in addressing safety and pregnant women. For one, safety trials can be conducted. Unlike other randomized control studies that enroll large groups of people, this would allow a very small and willing group of pregnant women to receive the vaccine and be monitored. Safety trials are done on other patient populations where medications may be harmful, such as chemotherapies.
Another approach would be to start monitoring and collecting data on patients that get the vaccine and who are unknowingly pregnant and received the vaccine. Mass amounts of people will be getting the vaccine soon, and yet requirements will not be so strict to ensure that all women of childbearing age have a pregnancy test. Therefore, there will be women who may not feel or think they are pregnant and will subsequently learn they are pregnant. There needs to be a well established database for these cases so that these women and their growing baby can be monitored long-term to establish safety.
The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine has recently released a recommendation stating that pregnant women who work in “high risk areas” such as healthcare workers are advised to get the vaccine. The SMFM have an updated recommendation on their website for pregnant women getting the vaccine as evidence emerges.
For many people this is a big concern to get a vaccine in which little is known in what can happen to the fetus. For those that don’t want to get the vaccine and want to wait until after the pregnancy, they still enter into uncertainties, if they chose to breast feed.
If pregnant womenm especially those in the high risk groups do not get the vaccine, it really essential that they adhere to preventive measures. Below are some of the key strategies to prevent from getting COVID-19.
Rebecca Hill, a nurse researcher, is studying infant feeding and speech development over time.
If you are the parent/guardian of an infant less than 4 months of age, please consider taking part in this research study.
This study will collect data over the first 2 years of your child’s life, for a total of 6 surveys. Each survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Following completion of each survey you will be entered into a raffle to win a $50 Amazon gift card.
We have created a short ebook to help pregnant and new moms gain the necessary information from leading healthcare experts on different aspects of navigating this pandemic when you are pregnant. We put together some of the top questions mothers and soon to be mothers ask about the labor experience, going to your midwife or OB, going out in public and about breastfeeding.
Natural methods to increase fertility is one of the best and most effective measures you can take to achieve pregnancy. Did you know that 80% of couples who try to conceive will do so in the first year? And couples who engage in natural methods to increase fertility will have an even better chance to conceive.
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When you’re dealing with fertility issues and challenges, having expert guidance is essential in a time that is stressful and overwhelming—that’s where expecting and beyond can help. Dr. Scannell shares 10 of the most common natural methods to increase fertility. These tips and techniques will help you gain insight and allows you to feel empowered in your fertility.
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This course is for anyone who is having a difficult time with conceiving and anyone looking to gain better insight in some skills and techniques you can implement to improve and increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Dr. Scannell will discuss the major causes of infertility and subfertility. You will walk away empowered and will have the skills and tools necessary to engage your partner in your journey to conceive.
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Luckily, Expecting and Beyond has you covered. Our online classes are offered both virtually through online live webinars as well as recorded lectures. In addition, we also offer personalized one on one appointment which offer you the privacy you need.
Being pregnant during Covid can be especially trying and stressful. With Covid redefining how we do things and our already busy schedules, what can expecting moms do?
Research shows prenatal classes are strongly recommended for pregnant, first-time parents…
See our new Childbirth Education Services Offered Virtually at Expecting and Beyond http://www.expectinfo.com
Luckily, Expecting and Beyond (www.expectinfo.com) has you covered. Our online classes are offered both virtually through online live webinars as well as recorded lectures. In addition, we also offer personalized one on one meetings.
We provide downloadable course materials that’s yours to keep as well as free access to monthly Q&A sessions with other expecting moms hosted by a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Midwife for up to 1 full year after you’ve signed up.
This is great as a resource for moms after they’ve given birth or as they come closer to their due date as a refresher course.
Many also accept FSA/HSA/HRA card payments; check with the organization about their policy before registering. Besides never having to leave your house to attend these classes, one of the best parts about learning birthing techniques online is you can go at your own pace.
The physiological changes during Pregnancy can increase the risk of contracting viruses such as the Coronavirus and becoming sick. For pregnant women who acquire COVID-19, it is still hard to determine the short- and long-term impacts of the virus on both mother and baby during and after pregnancy. However, a concerning study from the CDC has recently shown that pregnant women who get COVID-19 have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 associated illness. The study found pregnant women with COVID-19 had more ICU hospitalizations, had worsening symptoms requiring a ventilator to supply oxygen and for women 35-44 years of age had a much higher rate of death.
What does this mean for pregnant women?
This study really illustrates that there may be an increase in risk of severe disease as well as death enough pregnant women. It is important to consider that this is still a new virus and data is still emerging to help determine the specific risk. Given the severity of this outcome is important to counsel pregnant women on their risks and for them to be diligent in their prevention efforts so that the reduce their chances of getting COVID-19. Key strategies they can implement is the following:
Wearing a mask in public
Stay home as much as possible, except for important medical appointments, and work from home if possible.
Talk to your doctor, obstetrician or midwife about the possibility of telephone or videoconference appointments for some prenatal appointments.
Avoid visitors to your home.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
