Pregnancy Sickness Support and Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Friday 27th March 2020
Pregnancy Sickness Support is open and operational as normal however our staff team will be working primarily from home.
We will endeavour to respond at our usual high standard but we apologise in advance should phone calls be impacted by background noise as we are balancing work and home life.
Our web-chat will be open as usual and will not be susceptible to noise or interruptions.
Our staff are all up to date with the latest advice.
We will do our best to keep our services running smoothly and will update our website and social media profiles should this change.
Pregnant women in the UK have been placed in the “vulnerable group” and have been advised to observe social distancing as is outlined in the link below. Women in the third trimester (more than 28 weeks gestation) or women of any gestation with an underlying health condition (eg requiring an annual flu vaccination) are advised to be particularly attentive to social distancing and minimising contact with others.
It does not appear that pregnant woman are more likely to contract COVID-19 than the general population. However, we know that pregnancy alters the body’s immune system and response to viral infections. Therefore, pregnant women are potentially at risk of more severe symptoms with this or any other virus. As yet, there is no evidence showing that pregnant women are more at risk of serious complications than any other healthy individual, but this may change as more pregnant women get COVID-19. If you are infected with COVID-19 you are still most likely to have no symptoms or a mild illness from which you will make a full recovery. However, if your symptoms are severe or your recovery is delayed, medical advice should be sought from 111 who will advise you about further treatment. It is reassuring to know that no studies so far have shown that COVID-19 is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage or early pregnancy loss. There is also no evidence currently to suggest that the virus causes birth defects.
This is understandably a difficult time for women suffering from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum. If your symptoms are worsening, evidenced by symptoms and signs of dehydration, uncontrolled nausea and/or vomiting or progressive weight loss, you should seek medical help in the usual way. You can contact your GP or your Early Pregnancy Unit depending on your local NHS arrangement. It may be the case that the GP will not offer a face to face review but instead may perform a detailed telephone or video consultation to decide on treatment escalation in the community or admission to hospital. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 alongside nausea or vomiting in pregnancy or Hyperemesis Gravidarum, your symptoms may increase and your risk of dehydration will be greater. In this case, you should seek medical attention earlier than you would otherwise. Pregnancy Sickness Support remains available to provide advice, guidance and support.The link below takes you to a resource pack to help those of you who need to entertain children whilst suffering:
https://www.teampss.org/coping-with-covid19
The link below provides evidence-based updates from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG):
https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/
Pregnancy Sickness Support is the only charity in the UK offering information and support to people suffering from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy or Hyperemesis Gravidarum.
With children home from school and the extra pressures at home it is imperative that we are able to reach out to those who are suffering and help as best we can.
We understand that we are living in uncertain times, and appreciate that some families are experiencing financial losses. However, the work which we carry out in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales is currently funded entirely on donations, and as you can imagine the current climate has caused a massive loss to our fundraising efforts.
In light of this we are asking for your support. Your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate £5 or £500. Every little bit helps.
Stay safe and thank you for your support.
https://pregnancysicknesssupport.charitycheckout.co.uk/donate19
