Woman who are planning to get pregnant have been advised to delay it by a couple of months because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Yves Muscat Baron, head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Mater Dei made the suggestion during a pregnancy question and answer session on Facebook. 

“If there are people planning a pregnancy, I suggest they delay it for the coming two months. For those who are pregnant, you are being taken care of, don’t worry,” he said.

He urged people to continuously wash their hands with soap or alcohol in order to ‘undress’ the virus of its ‘protective, fatty coating’ without which the virus cannot thrive. These simple hygiene measures had helped save 120,000 lives in Europe, he said. 

Muscat Baron said that his department was receiving a lot of questions from pregnant women, and this was justified, as mothers-to-be are the most motivated people in society and do anything for their babies. 

Here are some of the questions he answered:

Can my baby get COVID-19 during pregnancy?

So far, it does not seem that babies are getting infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy, however, they could get infected once they are born or while being breastfed because of the proximity of the mother to her child. 

If a mother tests positive for coronavirus, she would have to be separated from her baby as soon as they are born. This is quite painful for the mother, but it is being done to protect the newborn. 

Should I keep up antenatal visits at hospital?

It is crucial that women continue their visits as these ensure early detection of pregnancy complications. Obstetricians at Mater Dei Hospital are focusing on antenatal appointments, cutting down on all other gynae visits and avoiding overcrowding at the clinics. 

What if I get fever during pregnancy?

Fever is never a good thing during pregnancy. While people can bring down their body temperature through breathing and sweating, babies can only get rid of excessive heat through the umbilical cord, and this is not very efficient.
It is important that you speak to your obstetrician, take two paracetamol pills every six hours and drink loads of fluid.

Is Caesarean section safer?

As long as there is no obstetric concern, having COVID-19 does not justify a c-section. Caesarean births are only carried when medical staff fear obstetric complications. There are other things that can be done in cases of pregnant mothers who test positive to coronavirus, such as delaying the birth instead of inducing it at 40 weeks of gestation. 

Can the birth partner stay with me during birth?

As long as he does not have COVID-19 or is in quarantine, birth partners can stay in the delivery suite with the mother. The absence of a birth partner during birth might be very difficult for the mother, however medical staff cannot risk the health of the newborn and the mother, and also their own wellbeing.

Can I breastfeed my baby if I have COVID-19?

If a mother has been exposed to COVID-19 or tested positive for the virus and is in quarantine, she can express milk and someone else will feed it to the baby as the virus will not be present in the milk.