COVID-19 Pregnancy Update

If you test positive to COVID-19

Please notify the relevant government body: https://www.qld.gov.au/rat-positive

Please notify us at Hatch Private Maternity. We will notify the Mater Hospital In The Home (HITH) team who will be in touch with you during the course of your illness. They will be the team primarily responsible for monitoring your COVID-19 illness and offering advice, support and further assessment if the need arises.

During your isolation, it is important to keep up regular fluids. It is also safe to take paracetamol during pregnancy. This can be useful for any fevers or body aches and pains you may experience. Although you may feel very fatigued, it is important to keep up some movement during your illness to prevent developing blood clots in the legs or lungs. We recommend considering a walk around the house or in the backyard at least once an hour during daylight hours, and considering obtaining some flight compression stockings from your local pharmacy. These will need to be obtained by someone who is not in isolation and the pharmacy will require a measurement of your leg from knee to ankle, and the circumference of the widest part of your calf. Some women may require injections of blood thinners, and this will be discussed with you in detail if recommended.

During your isolation, your appointments will be converted to telehealth. Once you are asymptomatic and a COVID-19 test shows you are negative, face to face appointments can be resumed.

If you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations or high fevers (38 or more) then it is important present to the Mater Public Emergency Department.

If whilst you have COVID-19, or are in isolation as a close contact, you experience any pregnancy complications – contractions, vaginal fluid loss or bleeding, reduced fetal movements, or other pregnancy concerns – then please call the Pregnancy Assessment Centre (PAC) at Mater Mothers on 3163 5631 to notify them that you are COVID-19 positive and that you need to present for assessment. They will be able to direct you as to where to present at the hospital.

For visitor information at the Mater, it is best to regularly check the Mater Mothers website for any updates: https://www.matermothers.org.au/mothers-news/mater-covid-19-update

For women approaching their due date:

• We advise that both you and your partner increase your vigilance to try and avoid COVID-19 in the lead up to delivery.
• For women having an elective Caesarean Section, a Rapid Antigen Test will be performed on your arrival (supplied by the hospital) to the Mater Mothers hospital on the day of surgery. If you test positive and are not too unwell, we would intend to proceed to your surgery that same day. Your partner would be welcome to attend the birth (as long as they are not known to be COVID-19 positive), however would need to self-isolate at home after the birth as they will be a close contact.
• Currently, women being induced and women presenting in spontaneous labour, are not being tested unless they display symptoms of COVID-19. This may change over the coming weeks.
• If you are COVID-19 positive at the time of delivery, and are planning a vaginal birth, then in most instances we would recommend continuing with this plan. After delivery, the intention would be for you to remain with your baby, with breastfeeding encouraged (if this is your intention), on the COVID-19 postnatal ward. No visitors are allowed on this ward.
• Please note that at present, the only time your support person will not be able to attend delivery is if they are currently in isolation for being a close contact, or currently have COVID-19 themselves.

Please find below a list of resources that you may find helpful. Please note that advice is constantly changing so it is important to ensure that you have the most updated version of the below.