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Pregnancy follow-up: how will I be followed during the second confinement?
Regarding pregnancy monitoring and childbirth, this second confinement is less anxiety-provoking than the first. Appointments are made every month at the maternity ward or in the office of a liberal midwife, with hygiene and social distancing gestures, and wearing a mask. On the other hand: “Group birth preparation courses are mostly done by videoconference”, as explained by Adrien Gantois, president of the National College of Midwives.
What about expectant mothers who have a fever?
What about patients with symptoms of Covid 19, such as fever, cough, muscle aches? There, the procedure is different: “The expectant mothers who are symptomatic first make an appointment with their general practitioner. Then, with the gynecologist who follows them or their midwife, we take a video update for the consultation. It is often necessary to postpone an ultrasound by 15 days, which must be done (obviously) in the presence of the person. “Unlike the first confinement where their presence was prohibited, the presence of the partner is allowed for ultrasounds, but not for routine monthly consultations. Short stays (24 to 48 hours in the maternity ward) with the partner are preferred, if the birth has taken place vaginally and without complications. Consultations for the aftermath of childbirth are then done at home, by liberal midwives. In this case, parents and midwives wear a mask at home during the examination.
Future mothers worried about their childbirth
Sonia Bisch, spokesperson for the collective “Stop obstetric and gynecological violence, reports the concerns expressed by future mothers. “At the moment, we are receiving many testimonials in our online form, from pregnant women who are worried about the new confinement: will they have to wear the mask during labor and the eviction efforts? Will their partner be able to be present for the birth and during their stay in the maternity ward? “. She continues: « During the first confinement, our investigation showed the difficulties encountered by pregnant women and their families because of the restrictive measures due to covid-19 mainly concerning the wearing of a mask and the absence of the partner ”. According to this survey, 75% of the respondents shared the bad experience of their childbirth, because of the wearing of the mask, the ambient anxiety and the loneliness of a birth lived without their partner, and during the days that followed. in the maternity ward. “All the ingredients combined to cause significant risks of postpartum depression or even post-traumatic stress * in the months that follow”, concludes Sonia Bisch.
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Baby blues and postpartum depression: what’s the difference?
Mask and presence of the partner, how does it go?
“Today, we know the situation better and we know better how to protect ourselves”, assures Adrien Gantois, president of the National College of Midwives. “We want there to be the least repercussions for parents when it comes to childbirth. Of course, we are in a confined space, but we are not advocating the mask during expulsive efforts. But sometimes it’s on a case-by-case basis. We ask parents to stay in the room as much as possible and to wear their mask whenever they are in contact with nursing staff, to avoid contagions. It’s okay for everyone to be careful. “ To protect nursing staff, the College of Midwives proposes that they be equipped with FFP2 masks, but also charlottes, protective glasses and disposable gowns.
On the side of the National College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of France (CNGOF), the wearing of the mask is “Desirable”, even during expulsive efforts, but not ” obligatory “. On the other hand, the two colleges of professionals, midwives and obstetrician gynecologists, agree to authorize the presence of both parents. In its latest press release, the CNGOF resumes: “The exclusion of co-parents (without symptoms) during labor, during a possible cesarean section or after childbirth is not desirable”.
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Is the mask compulsory to give birth?
Difficult to have reliable figures of practices in maternity hospitals. In fact, according to studies carried out by the “Stop VOG” collective which has identified around 300 maternities, 80% of them still required the wearing of a mask in mid-October, and after these recommendations, they would only be 65 % to impose it on future mothers during the eviction efforts.
The Secretary General of the CNGOF, Professor Deruelle, explains: “In our maternity hospital in Strasbourg, it is out of the question for a woman to give birth with a mask. But of course, when fathers are symptomatic, if they cough or have a fever, they do not come to the maternity hospital. “ Faced with so many questions, patient groups, activists and caregivers called on the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran. He proposed that the High Council of Public Health take up this subject.
Can we do IVF during confinement?
Are in vitro fertilization (IVF) maintained? “In theory yes”, answers Virginie Rio, president of the BAMP collective (Association of patients and ex-patients of medically assisted procreation). “Unlike the month of March, when all the people involved in assisted reproduction saw themselves put aside and experienced it very badly, there we worked with the Biomedicine Agency and learned societies to develop recommendations that have been validated by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health. We must not make the same mistakes again ” Result: the centers in France mobilized to continue all activities (IVF, embryo transfers, donations, fertility preservation), even if some of the women in assisted reproduction had in the meantime been infected with the coronavirus. But Virginie Rio is worried: “In practice, we realize that the more the epidemic progresses, the more complicated it is: in some centers there is a lack of equipment and resuscitator anesthetists. It is terrible, and this is what we must denounce: that our health system is not able to both manage this epidemic and take care of other patients. A woman who has cancer, or one who is 40 years old and almost over with ovarian reserve, is going to have to go after COVID patients, just because of failures in our health care system. This is what is most revolting. In assisted reproduction, time is our enemy ”.
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Live Parents “Pregnancy and Coronavirus”: “Pregnant, how to take care of yourself, without risk for the baby? “
* A survey of perinatal researchers and psychiatrists from Lyon is underway to assess the impact of these births during the epidemic and possible obstetric violence on the health of women and children, and in particular on the mother link -child. https://twitter.com/SantMentalePer1