VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Tomasz Nęcki

The COVID-19 pandemic has more or less affected most people. Pregnant women and those who are planning to become pregnant are a special group of people who may be concerned about a pandemic. Due to the pandemic, many women temporarily stopped trying to have a child.

COVID-19 is a disease that changed many people's plans, both those related to the near and more distant future. Vacation trips to the other side of the world have become much more difficult (and sometimes even impossible), events involving world stars of the music scene are postponed, and some people who previously considered changing jobs now hold their position as long as they have it. . The pandemic, however, changed not only the holiday or professional plans of many people - it also thwarted the plans of many women who were planning to get pregnant soon.

COVID-19 and pregnancy: why some women postpone trying for a baby?

The pandemic is considered by many people to be rather unfavorable to starting a family - even if it seems strange, in the end you can find some arguments that quite clearly confirm the meaning of such a thesis.

First of all, the present world can be described as unstable. In many countries around the world, including Poland, there are constant doubts as to the efficiency of the he alth care system, however, instability also applies to the model of education of children (who are notoriously forced to attend classes remotely) or employment conditions (many industries, such as or hotel, is constantly afraid of new restrictions and the related necessity to temporarily limit or even suspend operations).

Currently, women can simply be afraid of getting pregnant. As mentioned above, there are various reasons for this, but many patients are primarily concerned about the he alth of the he althcare system.

Pregnancy in a pandemic: he althcare concerns

Various infections have actually been around for a long time, but COVID-19 is a special disease - it affects people all over the world, and reports on the number of daily illnesses constantly cause concern for many people.

The information on the current operation of the he althcare system is also definitely disturbing - the media mentions a lot of overcrowded hospital wards with patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as the fact that various facilities that normally deal with surgery, They are transformed into units caring for COVID-19 patients in dermatology or treatment of internal diseases.

Many people - due to fear of possible infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus - currently avoid visiting doctors. Just as some people can actually postpone them, so is the situation of pregnant women who simply have to visit medical professionals. However, what may be worrying is not only the need to visit medical facilities several times, but also the fact that it can be difficult to get there.

The patients' concerns focus not only on the course of the pregnancy itself, but also on its termination. Until recently, the presence of a loved one - a partner, a friend - in the delivery room was something quite obvious, and nowadays it is something rather inadvisable, and often even forbidden.

The same applies to visits, which are currently restricted or completely banned in most hospitals. The vision of not meeting the family for a few days after childbirth is not necessarily scary, otherwise it may be already in a situation where the patient's pregnancy is at risk and she may require staying in the hospital for a long time before giving birth.

The woman may then worry not only that she will not be able to meet her relatives, but also that she will be able to contract the SARS-CoV-2 virus during hospitalization.

Risk of contracting COVID-19 at work

Hospitals are, of course, not the only place where there is a risk of contracting COVID-19 - you can get sick after staying on vacation, visiting a shopping mall or restaurant. However, you can also get infected with SARS-CoV-2 from your closest associates, and this is also the fear of many women who are considering applying for a new family member.

Some pregnant women work as long as their he alth allows it. At the moment, however, most likely a smaller percentage of patients expecting a baby actually decide to perform professional duties until a short time before the planned termination of pregnancy - the reason may be the risk of contracting COVID-19.

On the one hand, patients - especially those who experience some severe pregnancy ailments - have the opportunity to obtain a sick leave, on the other hand, not all women would really want to decide onusing it.

The labor market is currently definitely unstable and some patients are simply afraid that after pregnancy they would simply have to look for a new job.

Pregnancy, COVID-19 and the economic situation in Poland

In the last months of 2022, the media was basically dominated by one topic: the economic situation in Poland. In autumn and winter, the focus was more and more on how the living conditions of Poles were changing: there was mention of rising inflation, ever higher prices of basic articles and utilities, as well as increasing - due to the increase in interest rates - loan installments.

Ultimately, given the risk of losing their jobs and the rising cost of daily living, women may be afraid of getting pregnant and postpone trying for a baby until the situation is even better, but at least starts to improve .

Effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy

Women may be concerned not only with getting COVID-19 during pregnancy, but also with how the infection will affect their baby. Reports on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the course of pregnancy can be very different, but it is mentioned, among others, about the fact that due to the disease, the risk of premature birth may increase.

Analyzes are still ongoing and researchers are looking at what the obstetric complications of COVID-19 may be, but clearly some patients, due to the very possibility of their occurrence, decide to postpone their efforts for a child.

Is it possible to minimize the risk of COVID-19 effects on pregnancy?

Just as various human fears are sometimes difficult to acknowledge as legitimate, in the case of COVID-19, the fears are quite understandable. The decision to enlarge the family is certainly one of the most important decisions made in life and for this reason it is always necessary - not only in times of a pandemic - to be taken with great caution.

A woman who would like to become pregnant, and at the same time is concerned about it due to the epidemiological situation, should first of all think about what actions she can take to reduce the risk of falling ill.

For this purpose, it is possible to use the vaccination against COVID-19, which, without even 100% protection against the disease, may protect the patient from the severe course and long-term consequences of this disease.

It is also necessary to follow basic sanitary rules, such as social distancing, wearing masks or frequent hand disinfection.

Pregnancy in the era of a pandemic is possible, but it should stayhappily resolved, it is indeed necessary to follow certain rules that a few months ago no one would have even thought of.

Category:

Infectious diseases