Is anyone else feeling nervous re covid?

[Kittyswhiskers]

I am fully vaccinated (pfizer, but 4 months apart due to a change in the guidelines) and a nurse. I work in what is considered a ‘safe’ area within a hospital.

I hate the masks and the social distancing and everything but I’m feeling really nervous about the complete lifting of restrictions. Nurses are supposed to be working from home from 28 weeks unless guidelines change and I suppose they’ll be scrapping that soon. I am all for getting back to normal but the midwife has told me that even if you do catch covid and have mild symptoms, the risk of blood clots is much higher, and the risk of still births etc is slightly increased. I know my pregnancy is making my anxiety a lot worse (was previously on antidepressants for anxiety/depression before I found out I was pg) I would love for some hand holds and general encouragement from other pregnant ladies.

I feel the same as you. I work in a "safe" bit of a hospital. I am a trainer but come into contact with over 100 staff a day in the education centre. Our training rooms are not ventilated and it fills me with dread that we could start working normally with no masks and no distancing. I suspect that nhs staff will still be required to wear masks. I bloody hope so. I'm petrified.

It will be interesting to say the least, to see what hospitals do about masks, distancing and visitors. My own local hospital currently has NO visiting at all!

Our hospital is allowing visiting from 1 person per patient. I am not feeling happy about being in a poorly ventilated room with 12 other people.

How many weeks are you currently? Is your hospital still advising to wfh for 3rd trimester?

I'm in my first trimester. Currently, patient facing staff are reallocated to a non clinical area if possible but if not they're wfh 3rd trimester

NHS clinician here and WFH from next week (28 weeks) still - my manager agreed it no problems.

The RCOG have not changed the guidance sonl it should still be followed

So, if RCOG are still recommending 3rd trimester precautions and my workplace becomes a place that no longer does distancing and / or mask wearing, then it's likely that it will be in my rights to work from home?

Absolutely.

Do you think RCOG will change its guidance? For maybe, vaccinated patients?

Hard to say. Will be interesting to see how the RCOG respond, for sure. If anything there is more reason for third trimester women to WFH now.

I feel the same. It feels a lot riskier therefore I really hope they insist we work from home for the third trimester. My midwife said you can still get it mildly even if vaccinated and while you wouldn’t necessarily end up ventilated you can still get the other complications that covid is associated with during late pregnancy.

Forgot to say I’m 21 wks currently so 7 weeks away from my third trimester. It feels like cases will be through the roof in 7 weeks and I’m very very frightened to be honest.
My anxiety generally is through the roof and I have previously had treatment for OCD and can feel those thoughts and behaviours creeping in too.

Might be worth starting to discuss the issue with your employer. I advise sticking purely to what the RCOG guidance says and dont allow the discussion to go broader.

My own trust has its own guidance based on rcog and has said all pregnant staff wfh from 28 weeks but I expect / suspect they’ll want me in work (nurses can’t generally do much at home) even if they say I can social distance etc

Could your midwifery team perhaps do a supporting letter?

I’m very nervous but I can wfh. I’m unvaccinated (appreciate that is my choice but was only offered it a couple of weeks ago due to my age anyway).

I’ve cited RCOG guidance and will be working from home exclusively now I’m 28 weeks until I finish at 38 weeks (have only gone in about 6 times since lockdown 1 anyway).

As PP said if anything there’s now even more reason for pg ladies to be wfh.

I’d stick to RCOG guidance and go no broader. However if you’re only in first trimester be aware that guidance could change (although a lot of things could!)

I feel like we’ve all just been forgotten about to be honest and it’s made me quite anxious today

Sorry I confused you with another PP and see you’re 21 weeks. I’d still be sticking to RCOG and I’m crossing my fingers that guidance doesn’t change in the next 7 weeks for you!

I’m 25 weeks, nurse on a respiratory/Covid ward.

Our trust apparently do not remove pregnant staff anymore. Covid numbers are high again on my ward at the moment, I generally avoid the higher risk AGPs.
One of my seniors has thankfully unofficially took me out of the numbers so I am now having more of a backseat role; still on the ward but doing audits and RCAs etc

I’ve just been signed off for 2 weeks as I have been becoming quite anxious and showing signs of pre-eclampsia which has stressed me out further. Seeing midwife tomorrow so going to ask for her advice going forward

@Kittyswhiskers In your case I do think practically it makes sense to look into home working as it sounds like you should be eligible.

But I would also suggest speaking to your midwife about a referral to the perinatal mental health team. You do sound like you're beginning to get quite anxious, and whilst I'm not dismissing your worry it sounds like you may benefit from getting on top of these thoughts sooner rather than later.

Good luck with everything 😊

@Curiosity101 thank you. Do you have experience with them? I’m worried they’ll think I’m not fit to be a mother and take my baby away (appreciate this is my ocd and intrusive thoughts probably talking but it’s enough to keep me awake at night!) I don’t want anyone to think I don’t cope. I do cope, I just do it with a lot of worry and sadness in me too!!

Hi @Kittyswhiskers, I work in the NHS and had input from my local perinatal mental health team during my last pregnancy. They were really nice and supportive, giving good advice about pharmacological and non-pharmacological management options. Nobody suggested I might be unfit or unable to cope - in contrast, the consultant I saw said that contacting them early when I noticed a potential issue with anxiety was a positive sign, as I was demonstrating responsibility and insight.

Yes.
Very nervous.

I'm 38w, and have first vaccine booked for this week.
As I'm so close to due date, I'm half wondering about postponing it, but as I'm not vaccinated I'm so nervous about catching covid.
Even if I have jab this week it takes a few weeks to be protected so wondering if I should wait til after baby born, but equally, having a jab with a newborn will be difficult too logistically.

I also need to protect dc and myself when they're here as my Fil is anti vaccine and relies on public transport.

I'm so scared about catching it, or giving it to dc when she arrives, and people are acting so recklessly, even pre 19t July.

Yes, v nervous, but can wfh. Handhold to those of you that can't.

Could you use FFP2 masks instead of the standard surgical ones? I know they're not giving them out but you can buy them e.g. from the Boots website for about £2 each. Obviously you shouldn't be paying for your own PPE but given the other options it might be a thought.