Challenges of Having a Baby During a Pandemic
By: Sanjana Jha
Covid-19 has created a new set of hurdles for expecting mothers turning their birthing plans upside down. In many states, a support person is not allowed in prenatal care; many health clinics and OB/GYN offices are closed over the fear of transmission to the mother and the baby.
As a result, women have delayed family planning, according to a survey from the Guttmacher Institute, where 34% of women said that this pandemic has caused them to delay their pregnancy or have fewer children (1). In addition, women are also struggling to gain access to birth control during this pandemic. The pandemic has further highlighted the existing health disparities for people of color since 29% of white women said they were struggling to access birth control. In comparison, 38% of Black women and 45 % of Latinas have struggled more (2).
According to Brookings, the decline in children born during the pandemic has led to a "Baby bust" 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births are expected in 2021. The public believed that there would be a massive spike in births since people were stuck at home. These speculations were based on myths that births spike around blizzards and blackouts. However, this theory is not supported by evidence from the NIH, which has looked at birth rates during such a significant event (3). The huge amount of economic loss, uncertainty, and fear has resulted in the tumbling of birth rates as the pandemic continues.
Those who are having a baby during the pandemic provide a key set of challenges. Firstly, many expecting mothers have had some prenatal visits online, which doesn't fully provide all the routine procedures like ultrasounds which are vital to modern prenatal care in the United States. In addition, the offices that allow in-person visits can cause a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety for the expecting mother, which can have harmful effects on the pregnancies. Lastly, during delivery, most hospitals only allow one birthing partner to be present at the birth and this can be difficult on the expecting mother. Only allowing one birthing partner causes significant complications with the role of a doula, a trained professional who provides information and emotional support throughout pregnancies and provides hands-on support during labor and help with postpartum needs. The doula is advantageous to helping the family advocate for themselves and the option they would like and making them feel less alone (4).
Expecting couples think they do not need a doula because their partner will be there for them through the process. However, a study done by the NIH has proven that doulas and fathers working together have significantly lowered the mother's risk of a Cesarean compared to births with the support partner alone. The Cesarean rate for these first-time mothers was 25% in the group with a partner only and 13.4% in the group with a partner and Doula.
Some pregnant women do not have a support person and rely on free volunteer doula programs to provide immense support during labor. Unfortunately, many volunteer doula programs have been paused due to pandemics, limiting access to affordable birth support for low-income women (5).
While we are still amid the pandemic, the "baby bust" 's full effects are still to be measured. Women's reproductive health has undoubtedly been compromised in the form of prenatal care and access to contraceptives and disproportionately affected women of color and low-income communities.
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https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/24/882953643/survey-women-are-rethinking-having-kids-as-they-face-pandemic-challenges
https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/having-baby-during-coronavirus-pandemic
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/12/17/the-coming-covid-19-baby-bust-update/
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/covid-19-heroes/doula-fights-support-families-giving-birth-during-pandemic
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/