Pregnant Nurse with new guidance RE COVID 19

[TTC1993]

Whats your thoughts on the new advice about pregnant women in high risk category for covid 19? Are you guys still going in to work given we've been told so self isolate now?

Hello all, what a time to be a medical professional and pregnant eh!
I'm so at a loss as to what to do only 10 weeks but have pretty bad asthma should I be in work or not?! Who knows
Weve started getting a lot of ? Patients and it freaks me out to be honest but then I feel bad cos I dont want my colleagues to be more exposed cos I'm not pulling my weight so at a loss as to what to do
Plus if I do get forced off my mat leave which is calculated over the next 2 months will be shite
What a time what a time
Hope you're all staying safe and well :)

Hi all, long time lurker, just registered and first post!
Currently 8+1, due early November. I’m a mental health nurse (in-patient facing role) and currently signed off of work due to risk of CV exposure. Management have let me decide what I want to do, and will review it every few weeks. I have only told close friends and family and finding it difficult finding reasons telling people why I’m off of work for such a long period of time as everyone (including neighbours!) knows I’m a nurse!
Also worrying about not working my normal (plus unsocial hours - which I rely on A LOT) during the qualifying weeks for maternity pay. I understand that it’s for my own and baby’s health but not great financially! What a stressful time!

Hi everyone, first post also! I'm 10 weeks pregnant and ordinarily on the frontline. IVF pregnancy - very anxious. I have seen a contrast in the way different health boards are managing the situation, I personally feel all pregnant healthcare staff should be protected and not discriminated against. I will be asking to work from home if at all possible.
Most health boards appear to follow the RCOG guidelines which have been updated today, not to cause alarm instead to share the information - the update is due to the quote below:
Assessment of the risk of vertical transmission has been changed to ‘probable’, in line with a single case report published 26.3.20 that showed the first convincing evidence of COVID-19 being transmitted to the baby during pregnancy.
You can find the information regarding your what your healthboard maybe following here:
www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/
Another good place to seek support and guidance are these two websites
maternityaction.org.uk/2020/03/covidmaternityblog/
and
pregnantthenscrewed.com/2020/03/20/covid-19/

Hope you all get the support you need.

@ Eatsleepbakerepeat If you have severe asthma that alone should mean you should not be being exposed, combined with you being pregnant you should think hard about whether you want to be patient facing (not sure what gestation you are, basically if you are >28/40 all women should be non patient facing, if

@Eatsleepbakerepeat Just reread your post and you very clearly said you are 10/40!

If I were you Id push to be non patient facing.

Hi all, I don't post here much but always reading threads :) This is such an important issue... I'm a junior doctor and 9+4 today. We were trying for years and waiting for IVF when out miracle happened! I've had one miscarriage in 2016 and I am being very (probably overly!!) cautious this time around.
As soon as the guidance came out for pregnant women to isolate, I stopped going to work. (I'm in A&E so arguably one of the most high risk places). They were not happy about it, threatening not to pay me etc. but eventually said that I could work from home with data analysis. However, fast forward two weeks and they still haven't sent me any work! So I'm not sure what's happening :( Pregnancy is an anxious time when the world isn't falling to pieces... Why does the NHS do this to their staff?

I completely agree with everyone, I have had a strong change of opinion on my career since all of this has happened! To think people are out clapping in the streets for the NHS yet management can’t even protect their vulnerable members of staff, I find it laughable!

@Traysea thank you for that valuable update. This is exactly what we have been fearing. The information is so lacking they are happy to put us at risk until more data comes through. The problem is that we are the data. Now there's a confirmed case of vertical transmission I still can not believe they are continuing to advise 1st/2nd tri women that it's okay to be patient facing. Even working in an office puts us at risk.

This is also a long awaited ivf baby and I'm developing symptomatic anxiety (loooong history of anxiety). My GP, Consultant, and Union habe advised to go on the sick. So I ask myself, why am I here?

I'm so pleased I joined this group - it's good to know your stories

Such differing advice. I'm 14 weeks and WFH. Spoke to my manager this morning and I'm to continue doing so for the foreseeable. They are very supportive as I've had two miscarriages and don't want me to risk anything. It's such a stressful time to be pregnant.

I feel so similar! Been trying for years, second cycle of ivf, first one resulted in miscarriage. My AMH is LOW so this could be our only chance and I’m not really willing to risk anything. I’m also not comfortable that the decisions that are being made for us (pregnant healthcare staff) which result in us (us and our unborn children) becoming the evidence if there is a possible impact on our unborn children, we should be protected by our employers.

There is a letter draft below
pregnantthenscrewed.com/covid-19/write-to-your-employer-risks-for-pregnant-women/
which Pregnant Then Screwed have drafted - outlines the laws that are supposed to support pregnant women and can be used for communicating our rights to our employers.

What are the chances of them changing how they calculate mat leave pay to consider these mad times. My gp has advised I go off and its going to have such an impact on my pay :(

I feel the same. I was working two weeks ago with patients who we are suspected they have the coronavirus. Since then I was on holidays and now I need to come for work, I was calling to my manager for ask the situation because now in my ward all the patients has the coronavirus and he said me to came for a work. I was telling I’m so scared because I’m pregnant of 18 weeks and I had two previous miscarriage and is my first baby. They said me I’m going to be protect and safe but how can I be safe? The government measures said to stay two meters of distance and I can’t keep the distance. I’m really worried, I feel so anxious, sad, I can’t sleep and I been crying I feel like the people don’t want to look after me. Now I need to look after me and my baby. I don’t know what can I do. I was thinking to take my maternity leave but I can’t until 28 weeks.

@Meri89 I strongly suggest you phone in sick. That is what I have had to do for the time being as there is no way I will be putting my unborn baby at risk. Your management is irresponsible for allowing you to walk into a unit with covid patients!

@Meri89 - you have choices according to the law and the new RCOG guidelines. The guidelines insist you can choose to work directly with patients or not, so your manager needs to have a look at these! The only thing is you may be redeployed to an environment which is considered ‘low risk’ like an office - which still carries a risk.

If you’re off sick you can stay at home.

pregnant then screwed is a really good website to look at regarding your rights

@Traysea Thanks for that webiste!! It's really made me feel more secure :)

Has anyone seen that they're considering letting pregnant prisoners out to protect their babies... yet making NHS workers risk their babies by forcing them to go to work each day?

Please keep signing the petition!!

chng.it/LR5PCCG8dL

@Eatsleepbakerepeat I emailed my HR dept about recalculating Mat pay in relation to the qualifying weeks (if they’d consider basing the pay on my earnings before isolation) and they said no :( basically said that they’re unable to pay normal, for unsocial or enhancement hours if I haven’t worked them during the qualifying period.

Same position - frontline HCP and very anxious.

I feel a quite cynical, the whole 28 weeks cut off is probably a bit political - from then if anything goes wrong, the baby is counted as a person whereas prior to that it's unlikely to be included in official figures.

@RibenaBerryPie I know it’s seems totally arbitrary, especially when there is no real evidence to support any of this, only case studies which in terms of levels of evidence are one step above an anecdote!!

I know and it's easy to feel helpless, I've written to my local MPs, to RCOG to try and get them to change the guidelines to recommend all pregnant healthcare staff can work from home regardless of gestation and am seeking advice from an employment solicitor through Pregnant Then Screwed. I still feel stuck. I feel I am being forced to choose between my career and the financial security I need to bring a child into the world and the health and development of my unborn baby. I don't think we should be put in this position.

The fact is that there is no evidence about any effects on the unborn baby, because there is NO evidence at all. It doesn't mean that there are no risks.

I looked up some papers on the effect of SARS on pregnant women, and there were adverse effects recorded. That alone should mean that pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy should not be patient-facing.

Furthermore, I've had chicken pox as a child, but I still wouldn't be expected to see children with active signs or symptoms, so why this is being treated like no risk at all when hardly anything is known about it seems crazy!

The adverse effects of SARS and MERS are frightening, admittedly they are both more lethal but are both coronaviruses. I’m baffled that RCOG/RCM/RCPCH are confidently issuing guidelines for women of all gestations when many pregnant women during this epidemic have not given birth yet or even reached their 3rd trimester

I think that we might be the data. They say they are evaluating the evidence as it emerges - but this has only existed since what December?

Yeah I feel like we are being used as guinea pigs during this & I am not sitting by & letting myself & my unborn baby be used as test subjects!

@Traysea bang on, we are the data, we are the statistics. I'm not going to work unless I know it is safe.