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.

Take Me Back to the Start

I love the Upper West Side. I love the apartment Alex and I shared in a beautiful pre-war building right by the subway. It was the first place we lived together as just the 2 of us. There are so many wonderful memories from the past 6 years that we've enjoyed at The Verdi in 11C or as we affectionately call him, Clarence. I love our doormen and the friendly building staff. I love that we know our neighbors. What I didn't love, is the fact that there's only 1 bedroom in our apartment when we will soon need 2. And so, we knew a move to a bigger apartment was required.

It's been an interesting time to move as we have not yet found a buyer or renter for our one-bedroom. We're hopeful that when things open up again in NYC, there will be some movement on the real estate market. Clarence has a lot going for him! Here he is in all his glory (plus a view from our roof deck):

As for where we've moved, the location is a familiar one for both Alex and me. We began our lives in Yorkville on the Upper East Side and we've returned. We're settling in to our new home very slowly and it will likely be a while before it truly feels like our place. We've got 2 bedrooms, a large living room, and 2 bathrooms. The bathrooms and kitchen are brand new (appliances, fixtures, finishes) as is the bamboo flooring. We went to 4 modest closets to 8 decently sized ones. It's been wonderful putting everything in order and tucking all of our things out of sight.

The building itself, The Barclay, is a newer building with less charm but more polish than our last place. The staff has been friendly and welcoming despite wearing masks, social distancing, and the circumstances of our move during the pandemic. A few of our neighbors have reached out with lovely notes of welcome. There's a playroom and a playground in the interior of the building which make it an ideal place for a baby during the coronavirus outbreak. We'll have access to a gym, a lounge, a roof deck, and an interior courtyard with a lovely outdoor area. The building offers complimentary bus service to the nearby subway stations and is directly on a crosstown bus route. 

But the best part about our new location is that we'll be close to Alex's parents, his sister, my aunt, and my cousin and we're still just a short trip out to Long Island to visit my mom and brother. With our little addition arriving soon, we couldn't think of a better place to be!

First is the Worst, Second is the Best

Or so they say...



With the first trimester behind me, my anxiety calmed significantly. I continued meditating, seeing my therapist, and taking extra good care of myself.

I'd been told that the nausea of the first trimester would simply vanish. I was very skeptical. But it totally did!

I saw the doctor significantly less than in my first trimester - monthly appointments with my OBGYN and 2 fetal anatomy scans at the hospital. I had a screening test for neural tube defects which came back normal. I was tested for gestational diabetes, which I thankfully do not have.

But not everything was magic and sunshine.

Starting the 15th week, sleeping suddenly became super uncomfortable. My poor hips were so incredibly sore it felt like I'd taken some falls during a run on the slopes. A pregnancy pillow solved that problem. It also now takes over the entire bed!

I had a short stint at the hospital at 18 weeks after a 12 hour migraine. I had been experiencing some intermittent dizziness, shortness of breath, and my heart was racing at times. I figured - I'm pregnant, so of course I don't feel like my normal self. My blood pressure had been measuring high throughout my pregnancy but I chalked it up to nerves. All of these things combined gave my doctor pause. I was monitored at the hospital and had some blood work done. My doctor sent me home with instructions to regularly check my blood pressure. I was given a test to measure the protein in my urine. We played the wait and see game since it looked as if I was just on the cusp of developing pre-eclampsia.

In week 22 at my fetal anatomy scan, the doctor at the hospital found some uterine scarring (likely a result of the D&C I had). They also noticed calcification on the baby's heart but told me not to worry yet (yeah right!). So it was determined I'd return to the hospital for another advanced scan at the start of my third trimester.

In week 23, the doctor informed me that I would be delivering early and would be induced a few weeks before my due date because of my super high blood pressure. She reassured me that we would re-assess the situation and make decisions in real time but for now, I was looking at a May birth.

In week 24, acid reflux started to rear its ugly head. Mylanta became my new best friend.

I thought the second trimester was supposed to be the golden trimester when you could pamper yourself and take it easy. This was not the case for me. No prenatal massages due to my high blood pressure. No indulgent eating due to my constant heartburn. And  no resting easy due to the many little hurdles I faced.

Baby prep was in full force. We began the very long and tedious process of applying to daycare on the Upper East Side and I'm thrilled to say our tiny lady will be starting at a lovely daycare in September. We locked down a pediatrician for our little one and had an orientation with her team of doctors. I mapped out all the things we'd need for our newest family member and we purchased a bunch of must-have items. We put our one-bedroom apartment on the market and lined up a great two-bedroom rental to move to in April. So many things to do before the arrival of our bundle of joy!

If I could sum up the second trimester of my pregnancy in one word it would be busy. So many unexpected (and sometimes scary!) things cropping up out of the blue. Heaps of planning, tons of tasks, so much thinking about a new little human who we can't wait to meet!!