JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As women give birth every day amid the cornavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization is still gathering information about expecting moms, who still don’t know how they’re at risk.
Kinsey Crooks, a Jacksonville woman, spent the last few weeks of her pregnancy researching COVID-19 and what she needs to protect herself and her baby, who was delivered Sunday.
“Bringing a new life into the world with all this craziness going on is scary for sure. It’s scary without the coronavirus,” Crooks said.
She said due to the virus, she considered a birth home as opposed to a hospital.
“I thought about it for maybe a day or two, but I don’t think I could do that,” Crooks said.
The thought also crossed the mind of her neighbor Samantha Bell, who’s due to give birth Friday.
“I just couldn’t imagine doing this for the first time completely by myself in a hospital room,” Bell said.
Though it’s a little too late for Bell to change her mind, she said she wishes there was more information on if COVID-19 and how it impacts pregnancy.
“I’ve only read a couple of articles, and they’re still all kind of just guesses and limited data,” Bell said.
News4Jax spoke to Kelly Googe, a birth doula, about the options expecting mothers have like virtual assistance and home birth options.
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“Laboring at home with the mom until it’s time to go to the hospital and transitioning from laboring at home, kind of tagging out the birth partner, and then waiting for the good news,” Googe said.
The World Health Organization says expecting moms should take the same precautions as others to protect themselves from the virus.