Effects of corona virus on women

I was thinking about this.

Am also braced for a litany of complaints about how working mums are causing all the issues by not being at home to facilitate school closures.....

It's been interesting in my house to see how clueless DH is about basic protective measures. DS was self isolating, but DH and DS1 both went in his room, emptied his bin etc. It's clear now DS didn't have CV, but he could have and DH and DS1 did not know the protocols.

It seems to be something women find out about more than men.

More generally, every negative event disproportionately impacts the most marginal people. So yes.

I second the vitamin D recommendation. It’s essential for immune systems and we are all probably low due to just coming through winter.

I was thinking about this, too, though I hadn’t made the link with domestic violence until you pointed that out, grabthar

I think you’re right in terms of the mental load. At my workplace, those staff who can have to work from home at the moment, and the complaining from some men is epic. There are a number of them who apparently rely on using the excuse of work to get them out of all child and domestic related issues, and they are Not Happy! They’re having to take children to school, and cook dinners and all sorts.

The women with young children are mostly coming across frazzled and talking about stockpiling gin.

I had a panic over feeding and cosleeping with my toddler and all this; actually when I first start to get sick it's highly likely that he's already been exposed to the virus no matter how much we are washing hands etc. So I'm going to be providing him with extra antibodies which ever of us gets sick soonest.

The areola apparently absorbs things like viruses etc and the breasts create the antibodies in response. Supposed to have evolved from our immune system.

Please do make sure you're taking vitamin d and get the baby drops for baby though. We need extra when feeding and the nhs recommendation is for bf babies too. There's a vit d good spray from h and b or amazon. Good Vit d levels have been shown to be benificial in viral chest infections.

The data showed just as many women caught the virus as men but men were almost twice as likely to die. I did also read that more men were smokers than women. But no ones sure yet how much being a smoker would affect the death rate.

Yes, women need to make sure their affairs are in order including their partners. We all know how men can procrastinate paperwork!

I think advice is that if one person in household gets sick, the whole household has to isolate. So, it would be very difficult to stay away from each other. Luckily I have older teens and they almost live in their rooms.

A good point is that while flu usually takes the very young and elderly, this virus is not attacking children. It appears, the younger you are the less your chances of dying and more likely you’ll have mild symptoms. So it may not be as much nursing as say, chicken pox. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

My sister has cancelled visiting grandparents over Easter. She doesn’t want to endanger the grandparents.

I have friends who work and send money home to support (usually elderly) relatives abroad, if anything happens to them, their relatives will starve.

@crazydiamond222 4 months is the worst part of bfeeding by far. They are fussy, hungry and much more aware. It will get better soon. I'd suggest avoid early weaning because breast milk is always available, never runs out, comforting if they're ill, great for immune system etc.

Thanks Neuro, the link is really helpful . It looks like I should try to track down a mask to feed in if I do get ill.

As someone who is currently working from home while looking after three kids while DH is shut away in his office, I endorse this message!

4 months was a total killer with both mine btw.

crazy it does get better.

I've breastfed both of mine through awful chest infections both before and then after being diagnosed with asthma. It was hard but actually I found I could rest while they fed. I understand your worry re hospital, hopefully that would be a very rare circumstance. It might be helpful to find a local online bf group, my la leche league one is extremely good, for moral support? You could try pumping the odd bag to store and maybe see if baby will take a bottle. If not, they usually take a sippy cup by 5 months and could be fed by small cup now.

I'm still feeding my toddler and having a snoozy rest with him as he was up half the night ill.

https://www.llli.org/coronavirus/

And of course if I get ill I will still have to look after the toddler (I.e. still go to work to do my job) but if my husband gets ill he will be able to stay in bed for two weeks.

Well, so far women seem to have half the risk of dying if they catch the virus compared to men. I hope some women are ready to become widows and have their financial/legal house in order if not married.

Very lazy point from *feelingverylazytoday
*
This is an interesting thread. From my own personal perspective I'm a full time SAHM, struggling at the moment with a very active 2.5 year old, resort to tv too much as it is but if nursery school and music classes close I won't cope without more tv. My only help is my mum and she won't be coming to London anymore as has pre existing lung condition. (Interestingly, my dad won't "let her leave the house")
Husband is working from home indefinitely from Monday, in home office in our garden - so if we play outside it will disturb him, he will have to come in for loo, lunch, coffee etc and it will be confusing for toddler having him around all the time.
We are on the edge already for various reasons and I am feeling worried it will escalate tensions hugely.

Was just coming to post this by the WHO!

https://twitter.com/who/status/1238393990262804480?s=21

During the #COVID19 outbreak, it's an opportunity for a spotlight on the role of women at home that often goes unrecognized, unappreciated & not reimbursed, and also women in the work settings who are at the frontlines. It’s women who are carrying this burden.

Going to make a separate thread too.

Yes I agree this is an extra burden on women. It already has impacted me and my time / work balance.

I've had sick children, string of big illness, for the last 4 weeks and it's really taken its toll on me as well as my workload. I've lost out on several working days as a result, most of which will need to be caught up on at some point.

We should discuss men, how they would all be good blokes if women were nicer, how hard it is to be men emotionally and how women can protect and support them and How women rely so much on men and how we should make sure they are aware of our gratitude.

The WHO have released something about the effect on women, especially the caring roles that fall mostly on women But I have lost the link as I am trying not to obsess at the moment

As a mother of a 4 month old who currently wakes every 2 hours to feed at night I have no idea how I will cope if I get ill. Also what happens if I go into hospital, can the baby come with me? He will not take a bottle. I am thinking about early weaning just in case I am incapacitated and cannot breastfeed him.

Oh FFS , does everything have to be turned into a men vs women thing? Pathetic.