Pregnancy, Nursing, and COVID-19

The world is currently dealing with a completely unprecedented situation as Coronavirus, also called COVID-19, shuts down schools, restaurants, bars, and threatens the health of millions of people around the world.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that is spreading due to its highly-contagious nature. It spreads from person-to-person when someone coughs or sneezes, and it can also spread when people touch a surface or object that has the virus on it.

This is a scary time for many people, but especially for moms who are pregnant or nursing. Living through a worldwide pandemic is very unsettling and many people have a lot of questions about how this virus can effect their unborn or nursing babies.

Obviously, talking to your doctor is the first thing any mom should do, but below are some FAQs about how COVID-19 is affecting pregnant and nursing mothers.

There is a lot we still don’t know about COVID-19 and how it effects pregnancy and breastfeeding

1. What precautions should pregnant women take?

All people — including pregnant and nursing mothers — should be taking extra precautions to keep from getting the virus. Hand-washing, social distancing, avoiding close contact with people exhibiting symptoms, and covering sneezes and coughs are important.

2. What are the CDC Guidelines?

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) published information about pregnancy and breastfeeding that you can read here. As this is a new disease and scientists and doctors are still learning how it spreads, this is all subject to change on a daily, if not hourly basis.

3. Can a baby get COVID-19 in utero?

It is still unknown if a pregnant woman can pass the virus to her fetus or baby during pregnancy or delivery. So far, no infants born to mothers with COVID-19 have tested positive for the virus.

4. Can COVID-19 be passed along in breastmilk?

As of right now, the virus was not found in samples of breastmilk.

As more information is known about the virus, the CDC will continue to update their findings. As always, call your doctor with any questions you may have.

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