Serving Families in the Pandemic

The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on everything, everywhere.

I hope to provide you with some resources and ideas to support your work with families.

First, I want to say this. There are three ways that the pandemic interrupts maternal health.

1) Actual disruption of services.

2) Being sick (even with a cold) and not being able to access them.

3) Avoiding services due to fear of infection.

In order to best serve families, it’s important to understand the local maternal health care system and your individual clients.

Here are some ideas to consider.

• What can you offer through virtual support for both labor and postpartum?

• Get creative with postpartum care packages that include noncontact support like doorstep laundry.

• Create protocols for your practice in regards to screening, in the case of symptoms, in the case of diagnosis, etc., and be sure to communicate them.

• Find out about local hospital policies for the pandemic.

• Track what maternal health services in your community are limited or no longer available.

• Connect parents with other parents and the resources they may need.

• Help parents figure out how to have in-person contact in a way that works for them. Humans need in-person relationships.

Here are some resources:

Evidenced Based Birth's website with information for parents and professionals. Get her sample informed consent form refusing separation and a free class on birth during pandemic here.

Oregon Doula Association is compiling up-to-the-minute resources for doulas and clients here.

Penny Simkin is offering a $10 class about how to offer virtual support you can find here.

“A resource for everyday people to defend human rights during labor and birth.” Birth Rights Bar

CDC Resources for Clinics and Healthcare Facilities
ACOG Practice Advisory
SOGC Committee Opinion (Canada)
RCOG Guidance (UK)
CDC COVID-19 Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Information
CDC Information for Healthcare Professionals
International Lactation Consultant Association Resources

Resource Mapping

I'm always talking about sharing resources! Right now it's important to do some fresh resource mapping to understand what is available to families. Maybe some resources in your community are no longer available. Or maybe because so much is available online, your clients actually have greater access to virtual resources than they normally would. Now is a great time to put together a strategy for how you share resources with your clients. Maybe it's as simple as a PDF that you print or email out. Maybe it's a new page on your website.

Sickness Preparations

Please make preparations for your families and encourage your clients and patients to do the same.

1) Build the immune system -there are so many, many ways.
2) Prepare your household for sickness. If you don't get sick you'll have knowledge and supplies to help others. How do you care for viral infections in your home?

Keep up to date with your local medical services and their management of Covid-19 in your community, as well as any health care providers you would look to for support.

Lactation Resources

First of all, supporting breastfeeding should absolutely be the priority of postpartum time (assuming it is possible/desired). The best source of lactation information for professionals right now is the International Lactation Consultant Association. For families: For parents, there is Kelly Mom and La Leche League and Global Health Media. From a public health perspective, the support of lactation is crucial to our collective, long-term health.