Pregnancy During a Pandemic

The coronavirus is sweeping the world and I'm living in the epicenter of the madness. Nothing could prepare us for a pandemic that shut down our city, changed the course of my prenatal care, and created a scary new economy. Once the outbreak of COVID-19 began in NYC, I started working from home.  I feel very grateful to have a job that's been largely unaffected by this turn of events. I also feel very scared about what could happen to my job in the future. Alex's job has been busy and I'm grateful he is able to work remotely as well. When things began to get serious, I canceled all of my social activities. My orchestral gigs were postponed. I video-chatted or called in to all of my book club meet-ups, Spark board meetings, and prenatal yoga classes.

Being pregnant through this all adds another layer of stress, anxiety, and isolation. We wear masks everywhere we go. We distance ourselves from those around us and haven't seen our families in months. We walk early in the morning at sunrise when there are few people out and about and only once or twice a week. When we lived on the Upper West Side we would walk the entire lower loop of Central Park and when we moved to the Upper East Side, we would stroll along the East River.

Alex and I took a bunch of (mainly online) classes: childbirth, CPR and infant safety, breastfeeding, and newborn care. Our hospital tour changed to virtual walk through on Instagram and a Zoom chat with my OBGYN.

Right before NYC went into lockdown, I had an advanced scan at the fetal maternal health center to check on my uterine scarring and the calcification found on the baby's heart found in the second trimester. Both looked totally fine! Phew! It was the first big scan I went to alone but I was blissfully unaware of just how lonely all of my future appointments would be since Alex was no longer allowed to come along.

I went in for my 28 week OB appointment and it was determined that I had either chronic or gestational hypertension but had not yet developed preeclampsia. The doctors' plan was to keep me pregnant for as long as possible. Typically, high risk expecting moms see their OB every week or every other week at this point in their pregnancy. But since all medical facilities were working to limit visits for patients, I waited a full month before seeing my OB again.

My 32 week appointment started with a TDAP vaccination. My blood pressure was still high and I was told to continue to monitor it and to take another 24 hour urine test.

At 34 weeks, I was back in to meet with my doctor to discuss my blood pressure. I was put on blood pressure medication and was instructed to monitor my blood pressure even more closely. I also learned that I'd be having my baby at 37 weeks.

At 35 weeks, I had to go in for the Group B Strep Test where they swabbed my lady bits to check for a particular bacteria (all was negative!). I learned that my urine test came back normal (great news!) but that I was still at risk for developing preeclampsia (not so great news). I had another full blood panel and all came back normal.

In my 36th week, I returned to the fetal maternal health center for a final advanced scan. Little lady Levi was in the perfect position and measuring in at about 6 pounds! I also had a final appointment with my OBGYN before the big event.

It has been wonderful to feel my little gal squirming around doing what can only be described as baby gymnastics. My body has changed a whole bunch. Abs, what abs? Bellybutton, what bellybutton? Oh wait there you are but you're all scary looking now! I didn't gain a tremendous amount of weight (just about 25 pounds) and I've embraced the big baby belly but very few people have even seen it.

The one positive aspect of the lockdown is that Alex and I got plenty of extra quality time together before the baby. We ate all our meals together, spent tons of time hanging out, cooking and baking, working out, and watching TV. And while we are together all the time, during the work week, we are largely in separate rooms plugging away at our jobs. 

If I could sum up my third trimester in 1 word it would be: uncertain. I've done everything I can possibly do to get ready for what's to come but I honestly have no idea what it will feel like at the hospital. I've developed a few mantras that I repeat over and over when I feel myself get overwhelmed. My favorite ones are "I can, I will, I am" and "I trust my body, I trust my baby" but I also enjoy "Healthy Body, Kind Heart" - mainly because it feels like I'm in the locker room on an episode of Friday Night Lights.

What gives me great comfort is remembering that birth is just a small blip on the radar of this little gal's life. It's not even something she'll remember. And if my first act as her mother is to stay strong for her during a crazy time at the hospital, then I will take that on with as much courage as I can muster up.