This is a stressful situation for everyone, especially for those welcoming a new baby into the world. Though this virus is causing us all to make some changes to how we do things the thought of birthing families not being able to have support during all is just unfathomable. At Viumbe, our commitment to supporting birthing families has not changed.

Are you pregnant and feeling extra vulnerable during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Pregnant people and their families may be feeling extra vulnerable during the Coronavirus Pandemic. If birthing in a hospital setting, concerns of avoiding exposure to the virus during your labor and birth is a valid concern for sure. Some are faced with the real threat of having to birth with limited to no personal support persons with them. Even if birthing outside of a hospital, concerns of remaining healthy and of your support team remaining healthy can still cause anxiety to rise even in the most centered people. Enlisting the support of a birth doula now can be just as, if not more, valuable as it’s been before and may be just what’s needed to help ease your mind during this season of unrest. 

 

During these uncertain times what our clients can be sure of is that we will be accessible, flexible, and committed to supporting you and your birth. Our care has always been customized for your specific needs and this time is no different. Every situation, hospital, and family is different so together we can devise your plan and make adjustments as needed. Even if a doula is not allowed to be with you during delivery the emotional support and education a doula provides prior to birth is even more powerful now than before. That support can be the difference between a stressed worried mom and one who feels empowered, prepared, and safe. 

Staying healthy right now?

With the newness of this virus there isn’t much data that tells us specifically how it affects pregnant people and their unborn babies. My hope for you is that you are making every effort to avoid exposure risk just to be on the safe side. I know that some people are being asked to shelter in and others are front line essential… some have to balance a blend of both of these requests within their family structure and others are trying to manage this as a single parent. Regardless of where you fall in these request, we are encouraging our clients and all pregnant people to follow the W.H.O.’s guidelines to frequently wash their hands/hand sanitize, maintain good social distance when in public, avoid touching your face with unclean hands, and cover your coughs or sneezes.

 

We, together with our families, are staying home and this is helping us to stay healthy and able to offer support to our clients that need us more than ever right now. We are limiting social interactions and maintaining social distancing best practices when doing so. We are definitely hand washing, sanitizing frequently, avoiding putting hands on our faces and practicing good respiratory hygiene. On top of that we are actively making healthy eating choices to bolster our immune health and getting fresh air daily for good mental health (among many other benefits) during this time of heightened isolation.

Support through a pandemic?

It is a little painful to have to postpone all massage services until further notice. We are hoping to be able to get back to providing this layer of support soon. We are excited to announce that delivery methods for all our other services have changed to be able to continue providing support in your moments of greatest need. We now offer all of our prenatal and postpartum meetings virtually and are even providing an additional meeting for our doula clients to re-enforce your birth plan and address your biggest concerns. Depending on your birth location and on a case by case basis we are providing physical and/or virtual support during your labor and birth. Childbirth Education classes have shifted to a virtual platform and have been well received by class participants. I’m also pleased to announce that we’ve added a new Touch for Labor and Birth virtual class so that we can continue to help support birthers and their partners with comfort measures that as so helpful for birth.   

 

Supporting women is truly a passion of mine and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Contact us now to start the discussion on how we can best support your labor and birth during this viral pandemic.

Categories: Birth Support, COVID-19, and Virtual Birth Support.