First Of All, Congratulations On Your Pregnancy! Whether This Is Your First Pregnancy, Or You Have Been Through This Before, We Know That This Is Unique Time For All Including Uncertainty, Ever Changing Emotions, And Situations.
First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy! Whether this is your first pregnancy, or you have been through this before, we know that this is unique time for all including uncertainty, ever changing emotions, and situations. We are here to celebrate you and your baby (ies) ,and above all else try to support you during this time!
As an Ob-gyn physician and woman, I have seen the huge rollercoaster ride of pregnancy during covid. Whether it be how many (if any) people can be present for visits, ultrasounds, deliveries, mode of communication, and visits (should I go to the hospital? What is a virtual visit like? How will I be supported in labor?) I would like to give you some ideas, suggestions, and above all else support that I’m sure so many people are searching for.
I SEE YOU. I see your eyes with fear and uncertainty, even though I do not see your facial expression because we are using masks, can you see me? Are my eyes enough to show you that I am here for you? So many thoughts and emotions going through us all during this journey.
Here is what I know. There is a gap, a deficit, whatever you want to call it, that is creating a void in both healthcare and the human experience (not necessarily all linked to covid). My hope is to be a safe landing place for you to circle around, and find some support and comfort in a time of need. Who Doesn’t need that?
What will that look like? Well this will be more about support and women finding and supporting each other, this is not meant for medical advice. I just want us to be there for each other with ideas, suggestions, tears, and laughter. I am going to jot some ideas down about how to make your prenatal visits count, things you might want to pack for the hospital thatyou might not have thought about, what you might expect from labor and delivery, how to make the most out of your time in the hospital , and what toask prior to going home.
And then there is postpartum. Another huge deficit I am noticing is lack of mom’s and family support in the postpartum period (again not all related to the time of Covid). Women are isolated, sleep deprived, and stressed about so many unknowns. Women in general are not great in the category of asking for help, we want to do everything ourselves. This is a very vulnerable time for both moms and their partners (or maybe they are doing it alone which is ok too)! But it can be emotional, both literally with ups and downs of hormone swings, lack of sleep, and physical body changes that you may feel are scary ,or not normal! This is were sisterhood comes in! I envision a group of women sitting virtually around a kitchen table laughing, crying, CELEBRATING, and supporting. THAT is what we are made to do. I don’t know of any “official” studies of postpartum depression during Covid, I am sure they are being done, but it doesn’t take a scientist to come up with the data, we all know its higher, and I am sure more severe. Lets circle together and fill this gap! I am so energized and enthusiastic about this idea. Let’s make a difference together, because together we are better and stronger!
