Pregnant women should continue to follow the latest government guidance on HANDS- FACE- SPACE (social distancing) and avoid anyone who is isolating due to coronavirus. During your third trimester (more than 28 weeks’ pregnant) you should be particularly attentive to social distancing.
Key ways to care for yourself and baby include:
- Keeping mobile and hydrated
- Staying active with regular exercise, a healthy balanced diet and take a daily folic acid and vitamin D supplement
- It is important to still attend for all your routine appointments unless you are advised not to
- Get in contact with your maternity team if you have concerns about your wellbeing or the wellbeing of your baby.
Caring for your baby:
Face masks should NOT be used for babies and children under 3 years of age
Wearing a face mask in this age group can put babies and children at serious risk of harm or death:
1. Babies and young children have smaller airways so breathing through a mask is harder for them
2. Masks could increase the risk of suffocation because they are harder to breathe through
3. Babies are unable to remove the mask should they have trouble breathing
4. Infants could be at risk of becoming tangled, especially if they try to remove a mask, potentially causing serious injury
5. Older infants or young toddlers are not likely to keep the mask on and will touch their face more to try and remove it
Coronavirus symptoms in children: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/
Coronavirus: parent information for newborn babies:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/Coronavirus-Parent-information-for-newborn-babies-leaflet-FINAL-070420.pdf
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/coronavirus-covid19-advice-for-parents/
Information on Safer Sleeping is available fromThe Lullaby Trust here:
https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/