30 weeks, COVID positive and don’t know what to do!

[DecadeBCU]

I am 30 weeks pregnant and tested positive for Covid a few days ago. Started just feeling tired, and just a bit under the weather but I’m now coughing lots, my chest hurts and I’m finding I need to take quite deep breaths at times to feel like I’m getting enough air in.

My midwife and maternity unit are aware that I am positive and told me to just rest and keep hydrated etc but I’m wondering whether I should be seen. And if so, do I try and get seen by the maternity assessment centre or would I need to go to A&E? I don’t have any concerns with baby as such, baby very active still as per usual pattern which is why I don’t think they’ll see me. I just don’t know what to do? I’m just sat at home crying and worrying and wondering how it will affect baby.

Anyone have any positive stories or advice please?

If you've tested positive and you and baby are currently fine no where will see you as they won't want to risk exposure to others.

I know this will be scary but same as cold/flu treat symptoms you have as appropriate and look after yourself.

If you a) have no concerns about the baby based on movement and b) are Covid positive then definitely don’t go in! There’s no need and, imagine the other way around and you were there for a problem and someone came with, and then gave you Covid, when they didn’t actually need to be there.

Follow their advice. Stay at home, rest and stay hydrated. Hopefully you’re double jabbed and take confidence from that that it is likely to be much less of a problem than if you weren’t.

Have you got a home oxygen reader? Buy one from Amazon and just keep an eye on it!

Are you vaccinated?
If you find difficult to breath it would be good to check your oxygen levels.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I was managing at home just fine but I’m now concerned that I’m struggling with the symptoms in terms of feeling a bit short of breath and my chest hurting.

I’m obviously not just going to rock up at the maternity unit, but they must have some kind of protocols in place for women who need medical attention who are Covid positive.

I don’t have a home o2 reader otherwise that’s what I would do. I am double vaccinated.

Even though I’m not concerned about baby’s movements, I am concerned about my own health and the knock on effect that may have on my baby.
If I wasn’t pregnant I would probably just plod on at home still and ride it out but it’s naturally a difficult position to be in knowing what to do for the best as it’s not just me to think about.
Thank you for your responses

For now I think just stay home and try and recuperate. If symptoms worse call the NHS number or go to A and E.

Have you got Amazon prime? You might be able to get a home oxygen reader by tomorrow?

The maternity ward isn't where you'd go unless you had concerns for the baby. Take the fact you're pregnant out of the equation unless you think baby is at risk.
Take action as if you weren't pregnant

I just want to feel better
Bloody Covid!!

If your symptoms worsen then 999/111/A&E. Not maternity triage as your symptoms are medical/illness rather than obstetric. If you do end up in A&E they can usually send for a midwife/obs reg to see you over there if necessary. And yes maternity services will have a procedure for seeing Covid pos women

I have covid at the moment and was also struggling to breathe. I bought an oximeter from Amazon, get one with decent reviews, and that is useful for telling oxygen levels and pulse, oxygen reading is supposed to stay above 95. If it goes to 93/94 you are supposed to call 111 and below 92 its go to hospital, mine went to 93/94 a lot and I just stayed home but if pregnant would have called and they may well then want to admit you. But sometimes when I felt breathless the reading was fine and that was reassuring.

Other than that its just drink enough, take vitamins maybe, rest, take medicine you cah when pregnant for cold and flu. If you are worried call 111 for help and do call if you need to.

I will have a look for an oximeter on Amazon. I live a bit in the sticks so next day delivery doesn’t always happen but fingers crossed.

Mine took a day an I live in middle of nowhere, they are very small which helps.

If you are concerned now call 111 and they may check you now if chest if hurting and struggling to breathe.

Any chance a neighbour may have one you could borrow?

I'd call 111 and speak to someone, they can assess your symptoms and advise on whether you should be seen and assessed further. You're obviously worried to be posting on here and hopefully will put your mind at rest or get you the right care if needed. I've called when I normally wouldn't when I've been pregnant, one of the occasions I ended up admitted for 4 days. X

Some smart watches have oximeters?

If you do start to feel breathless, do go to hospital just to be checked over. I know of several women who needed emergency sections due to covid putting too much pressure on their lungs. None of them were vaccinated though, so you'll probably be fine.

@Silkieschickens I’ve ordered one, it says Tuesday delivery but hopefully will be tomorrow.

My watch only pick up heart rate not saturation’s. But I will give it a few hours and if any worse will call 111 and see what advice they have. From my experience they tend to send an ambulance out to everyone and I definitely don’t need an ambulance. Hopefully it’ll pass

Yes when I had those symptoms the 111 symptom checker said call 999 for an ambulance with specialist protective gear for covid, do not go to hospital yourself, do not go to gp. It seemed ott to me so I just went to sleep and ordered an oximeter, think they work on worst case scenario. Though you can refuse the ambulance and then sometimes you can talk to someone. If you do feel bad though do phone 111. I think in morning can get advice from gp though ours wont see with covid symptoms and advice may well be go to hospital.

Just recovered from Covid at 35 weeks, luckily I just had a head ache and no shortness of breath.
I phoned my maternity unit just to check what the procedure was if I had to do anything?
Just keep hydrated and monitor babies movement.
They did say that the unit was open regardless if I was positive (I’m guessing I’d of just been isolated in a room) and my community midwife said she’d still come out and see me if I needed her.
Again luckily I didn’t need to go in but if you struggle they said to me don’t feel like you can’t come in your health and babies are main priority.

If you can just rest up and keep hydrated I’d just isolate at home but if you feel worse call them and see what the procedure is in your area.

If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse, you can call 111 at any time - they can arrange a telephone review or appropriate transport to either A+E or an assessment centre. If you feel that the situation has becan emergency, call 999.

In both scenarios, tell the call handler that you're pregnant and in your 3rd trimester, and that you've tested positive for COVID. That way you'll be prioritised/triaged appropriately - people who are in the later stages of pregnancy can find that their lung capacity is reduced even without an infection, so they may have a lower threshold for suggesting in-person assessment or admission.

Most people who are double-vaccinated will be ok, even though you'll probably feel rotten for a few days. The vaccine means your body is much better equipped to fight off the virus. Make sure you keep well-hydrated and get plenty of rest.

If you're worried about your baby's movements at any point, phone maternity triage straight away - they will have a system in place to assess and treat patients who are COVID-positive and pregnant, so you and your baby will still get cared for.

Get well soon!

Sorry to hear you're feeling rough OP, thank goodness you've been double vaccinated or it would be so much worse by now!
Agree you can call 111 if you are worried overnight or call your GP practice in the morning if you are experiencing worsening chest pain or shortness of breath.
Paracetamol and eating little and often in the meantime.

So sorry to hear you're sick OP, must be worrying for you! Some phones have a sat's monitor built in, I know my Samsung Galaxy S10+ does, so you could Google maybe to see if your phone model does too and how accurate it is.

I know a few people who’ve had Covid in late pregnancy. If baby is moving well; that’s really good.

All of them are fine, and the babies are all good. I hope you feel better soon

Hi I had covid at 30 weeks exactly at the beginning of August I was very poorly but the Midwifes were brilliant and said we can be feeling this poorly but the babies are taking all our immune system so probably don’t even realise we are so unwell!
Our hospital had a Covid hub who would call every day to check in with me. I would contact your community midwife as soon as you can to let her know as the hospital may wish to monitor you to be on the safe side. I was also given an oxygen monitor and told to record mine twice a day and blood thinning injections.

hope you feel better soon rest and have lots of fluids x

I had covid at 31 weeks (double vaxxed). Am now 38 weeks and baby and me are fine.

Just keep in touch with your midwives and don’t panic. My sense of taste and smell took about 5 weeks to recover and I was absolutely shattered for about 2-3 weeks after my isolation. I was quite poorly with heart palpitations and shortness of breath, but the community team and triage were brilliant and really reassured me. Just keep in contact with your midwives and they’ll let you know if you need to do anything else. They didn’t feel I needed to take aspirin to reduce clotting risk and just reassured me that all the symptoms were normal reactions to a nasty virus.

I know it’s terrifying, but you’ve had two vaccines and you are going to be fine.