Pregnant during covid crisis

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I’m currently 12 weeks pregnant and working as an urgent care nurse. Unfortunately I have direct contact with suspected (and sometimes later confirmed) covid patients. I am becoming more and more afraid to work, and just wondering what other pregnant nurses are doing.

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I’m also wondering how other pregnant healthcare personnel are handling this. I’m 34 weeks pregnant and I am a “high risk” pregnancy. I work in a hospital and frankly, it’s unnerving. I have gestational diabetes, so wondering if this would make me further immunocompromised. Any other nurses in a similar situation? How are your OBs handling this? So far, mine has recommend not caring for COVID pts or PUIs.

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Specializes in Non judgmental advisor.
1 minute ago, offroadrachael said:

I’m also wondering how other pregnant healthcare personnel are handling this. I’m 34 weeks pregnant and I am a “high risk” pregnancy. I work in a hospital and frankly, it’s unnerving. I have gestational diabetes, so wondering if this would make me further immunocompromised. Any other nurses in a similar situation? How are your OBs handling this? So far, mine has recommend not caring for COVID pts or PUIs.

I know in our state, if you obtain a doctor note that you are more ar risk for contracting the disease you can get paidtime off or fmla,

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

I'm 7 weeks pregnant and recently left my job for various reasons, including not growing/learning there and being bored out of my mind, as well as being in disagreement with their standards of care. With the night time hours I also did not think it was healthy for pregnancy (or my body in general) as I was not handling it well with poor sleep and eating. My resignation was very timely in all of this and now I am not rushing to get back into direct patient care, as experts believe this could be unsafe for pregnancy.

I even asked an experienced labor and delivery nurse who has a large Instagram following and blog and she said if it were her and she could afford not to, she wouldn't work.

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Specializes in Home health PEDS.

I'm currently 25 wks pregnant. I've had a low risk pregnancy so far thank goodness. I'm only working part time but I did call off one day last week as a precautions after California instated stay at home order. I work home health/shift work so only one patient. I work 4 days a week and have 2 cases. One of my patient's mom actually cancelled nursing services x 2 weeks because she is concerned about her child being exposed (his resp sys. Already compromised). My other patient is sick with coughing/chest congestion. Pretty stable otherwise. But I reported it to my agency and asked for masks. The other nurse on the case never reported it!! Pt has been sick x 5 days! Luckily my patients mom had some face masks. But either way someone from my agency drove to my patients home within the hour of me calling and dropped off 10 face masks for me and the other nurse on the case. I'm a bit paranoid but I also know stressing affects my immune system and I can't afford to not work right now although I wish I could stay at home for the sake of my baby. I'm just taking precautions to stay healthy and plenty of handwashing at work. There is conflicting info on our risk category with limited data. US hasn't said much on the matter but what I did find is that we aren't anymore at risk due to being pregnant. BUT the UK advised pregnant women to stay home as they are high risk. So who are we to believe?

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Specializes in Neuro/Tele.

I am currently 13 weeks pregnant and am classified as high risk due to a few preexisting medical conditions. These same medical conditions are also listed on the CDC’s website as putting me at an increased risk of complications should I contract Covid. My floor is currently half positive or rule out covids. There has been talk of turning our floor into the designated covid unit. I am terrified. My OB has suggested I go out on leave due to hazardous work environment given my current and chronic conditions. I was informed today that disability will not cover this type of leave related to covid and that my options are to take unpaid leave/use up all my PTO/FMLA hours or go back to work and wear PPE/wash my hands. Our PPE situation is not good, like every where else. We’re reusing masks, storing them in paper bags and have been told that when we run out of iso gowns, not to be surprised if we see garbage bags being used as PPE. Even if us at risk nurses are not given covid assignments, we are still sitting next to people directly caring for them. Our risk of exposure is high just being in the hospital. I’ve tried so hard to fight for my safety but there are no universal guidelines in this which is very frustrating. So scared.

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm 6 months pregnant and asthmatic and working in a hospital that is pushing back really hard at my refusal to care for covid patients. They at one point told me I had no choice but to leave and I contacted a lawyer and a higher up in my union and they're attempting to place me on a noncovid floor for now but it has to be approved by HR who already once rejected my accommodation request from my OB. short term disability and fmla was denied because my OB will not approve me for leave based only on pregnancy. I've contacted OSHA, lawyers, and as many people from my hospital as I could think of. I cannot afford not to work and I'm just counting the days until I can go on maternity leave and pray I dont get sick. People are sending me messages randomly telling me that they know L&D nurses who cared for several vented pregnant women who needed emergency c-sections because of fetal distress. There have also been a few stories of covid positive women delivering via c-section and severely hemorrhaging afterwards requiring ICU care. I'm just counting the days until I can go on maternity leave.

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