Anyone interested in a FB group for positive stories about self-isolation?

[WombOfOnesOwn]

My family, as well as several individuals and families I know, have this week begun to engage in self-isolation voluntarily while we learn more about this outbreak and its consequences.

While fully aware that this is something not everyone has the ability to do, we've all individually decided it's the best choice for our families at this time.

However, I think many of us will miss "community," more broadly defined -- which is why I started a private Facebook group as a place for generally-positive, upbeat stories about our time isolating. We can use it to reconnect with our families, pick up new hobbies or build skills we've let get rusty.

There are plenty of places to panic together but I'd love to have a place where we can share the good moments of this, the "glass half full" moments, in dark and anxious times. I think we'll need it even more as the weeks go on.

It's a private group, so I'd have to friend and then add anyone who wants in, but please PM me if you're interested!

Can I ask why? Are you in a high risk area? Would waiting until isolation was necessary not make more sense? Just curious!

Yes, I'm in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and the majority of voluntary isolators I know are on the US west coast. I assume within a couple of weeks this will be much more relevant in the UK, perhaps I should re-post then!

With the incubation period of this virus and the amount of community spread we're already seeing, it's not exactly safe for everyone to be out and about. Already, nearby counties and cities are saying EVERYONE over 60, pregnant, or with health risk factors should be staying in. As I'm pregnant, I'm not taking any additional risks!

What a positive idea. Hope all goes well and all you and friends have to deal with is boredom.

So how long do you plan to self isolate for, or can do. I assume you don't work, or do,you work from home? Will,you be getting food deliveries or already have stock? And is we are at the beginning, how long can you continue this for? Will you no longer be receiving any,prenatal care or delivering in a hospital?

We work from home, with homeschooled children. We have already stocked about 120 days of food and could probably make our supplies last longer.

Your questions about the birth are ones I've considered a lot, @SD1978 - Barring complications, I already intended to birth at home, and my midwife is willing to do video appointments as long as I have a stock of testing supplies -- urine strips, blood pressure cuff, blood sugar monitor. I have had a blood test this week to determine the chromosomal makeup of the fetus, so we will be able to rule out many of the most common disorders that could complicate the pregnancy or delivery.

I'm considering whether or not to have a 20 week scan, and may simply not do it as long as the pregnancy measures at the correct number of weeks. I took folate early, am unworried about spina bifida, and something like hydrocephaly (which wouldn't show up on the blood test) would be indicated by a uterus that consistently measured "over dates."

I also have a small stock of neonatal rescuscitation equipment here, as well as effective prescription anti-hemorrhagics in case of excessive bleeding after birth. Neither of my previous births involved hemorrhage.

While it's certainly possible that there could be a sudden, difficult complication that would render these preparations moot, I will certainly be in a better position from a preparedness standpoint than 99.9999% of women who've ever birthed in history. And of course, if there's a true emergency, we're about 5 minutes from a hospital. At that point it's far better to risk infection than it is to stay home!

Hi, I'm suddenly feeling a bit anxious about the possibility of self isolation. I cosleep with my toddler and still bf.

If I tested positive, would they insist I don't?

This is the only thing that's worried me about this whole thing.

I was about to post that friends have had to isolate after coming back from skiing with a cough, negative tests but still told to isolate for 14 days from coming home.
They are clearing out their garage and doing some decorating.
It seems a bit redundant now after plans to self isolate for 4 months and give birth with no medical help. Americans are hardcore!

neuro I don't mean to scare you as I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine, but you may need a back up plan in place for if you do test positive as you could be really poorly with it. And I'd be doing everything I possibly could to minimise the chances of my child catching it from me. I wouldn't do sleep if I had the flu anyway but wouldnt with CV for sure as we just don't know enough about it yet.

I can't see how it's possible. I've nursed him through some bad viruses this winter; he's generally had them at the same time as me.

Obviously it's a different situation if I've have to go into hospital. Having said that I've never had to and have had some pretty bad ones.

In reality I couldn't self isolate from a 21 month old anyway.

I understand it is difficult if you don't have anyone else to help. I'm just saying that I would be keeping my distance from my child if I had it. We just don't know enough about the virus yet.
And this is coming from someone who is not worried about it at all, but a child doesn't have that choice.

I think the thing is that if Im I'll, my toddler has already been exposed.

He appears to have avoided chicken pox despite the older one having a v bad case because of breastfeeding. I don't see how it's possible.

www.llli.org/coronavirus/

Infections of children are minimal. However, our reason for isolating is that this virus may kill as many as 30% of people over the age of 80. We have people we love and care about in that age range, as do many of the people we know. We also have relatives with significant health conditions like hypertension and diabetes. It may kill as many as 5-10% of people in those categories. This will not leave anyone untouched.

I want my proverbial hands, like my actual hands, to be as clean as I can reasonably make them. I know there are many people needed "on the front lines," but people like me should mostly focus on minimizing the harm we cause.

Absolutely, I would self isolate but with my toddler. The whole family would have to to be honest.