Pregnant in a Pandemic

PreggersNYC

4.3 (3)
PARENTING

Musings, fears and research of a mom who is 36 weeks pregnant, 42 years old, and living in NYC during the Coronavirus outbreak.

04/09/2020

Episode 9. Seven days home from the hospital. Missing my Village.

On the one week anniversary of coming home from the hospital, I am struggling to accept the events in the hospital, but also awakening to the oddity of having brought a daughter into the world....but not yet into the arms of my parents, aunts, cousins and massive family. I feel like she has yet to truly enter the world. And I’d underestimated what my Village means to me.

9 min
04/02/2020

Episode 8. Birth Story. She’s here!

Born 3/30 by c section, and weighing in at 7 pounds 11 ounces, baby Asha is here. Just before we are discharged from the hospital, here’s a summary of what it was like.

9 min
04/02/2020

Episode 7. Diary: 3/28. Anxiety Surge

Officially on the cusp of the tipping point now with over 25,000 cases of covid diagnosed in the US, I am 38 weeks pregnant and the rules for hospital stay are in constant flux. My anxiety is surging.

5 min
03/26/2020

Episode 6. Lori the Postpartum Return To Work Expert, Founder of Mindful Return

There are now 60k cases in the US including about 17k in NYC. Anxiety for pregnant women these days is an understatement, made worse by the fact that we cannot even plan for the future as we would in a world without the virus. Because we don’t know what we are planning for. Typically when pregnant woman try to focus on what we can control, work usually comes to mind. Personally I was in the midst of fundraising for a new startup I plan to launch, before the epidemic hit. Now that’s obviously on hold. But for women who are expecting right now and in more traditional FT jobs, there are things you can do to help feel prepared. Comparison is the thief of joy, Teddy Roosevelt once said. It’s tempting to compare our pregnancies deliveries and lives after with life before Coronavirus. But that’s not our world anymore. So maybe we should self-soothe by putting our energy into action instead. One person who can help is today's guest. Lori Mihalich-Levin is a mother, lawyer, and founder of www.MindfulReturn.com, a program that helps parents navigate the return to work after parental leave. She also wrote a book called Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave (http://amzn.to/2lZJLm3). Today we are discussing ways that pregnant women can make a plan, consider their options, make themselves relevant at work, communicate well with employers...and create some sense of plan for our collectively uncertain future. Check out a key resource she shared for pregnant women: Mindful Return Blog Post: How to Create a Maternity Leave Plan Your Employer Will Love

30 min
03/22/2020

Episode 5. Cara the Pregnant NYC Medical Resident. 13 Weeks Along With a Toddler at Home.

There are now over 20,000 cases in the US, with half of those in NYC. Women like myself are running scenarios on how we will deliver amidst the chaos, and many are in full panic mode. As of today I’ve been informed my husband cannot attend the birth, due to new hospital policy. Personally I agree with the policy as it’s in everyone’s best interest; and if we don’t protect our healthcare workers we will face the consequences. Today’s guest is a pregnant medical resident with a toddler at home, a history of postpartum depression, and a lot of insight for us.

44 min
03/20/2020

Episode 4. Caila the Pre/Postnatal Personal Trainer Offering Free Virtual Classes

According to The American Pregnancy Association, 50 to 70 percent of pregnant women have back pain. No surprise to me. But physical therapy and personal training aren’t just for recovery; it can help us prep for labor and delivery, and help calm our stress. Today’s podcast guest is Caila Zapala, of Balance Zen, who has done pre and post natal personal training in NY for years, and who is now offering those resources virtually, and in many cases for free. Another much needed support for us during this stressful time! We can’t thank her enough. www.Balance-Zen.com

30 min
03/19/2020

Episode 3: Hannah the Pilates Instructor. Changing Her Birth Plan at 37 Weeks

With over 8,700 cases now confirmed in the US, but only about 30 in pregnant women reported worldwide, information for women like us is scarce. Despite my request I was told to report to the hospital in NYC for a fetal heart rate monitoring procedure, to which I showed up in a mask and gloves. I cannot change my birth plan (a c section, as with my first child), but today on the podcast I’m talking with Hannah, a woman who did. A Brooklynite pregnant with her first child, she’s now upstate, self quarantined with her husband...and figuring out a new birth plan just three weeks from full term.

35 min
03/16/2020

Episode 2. Katherine the Doula Shares The Birth Workers’ Perspective

Birth workers today are on the front lines of this epidemic just as much as emergency personnel. Today I discuss my own birth plan, concerns and scenarios that might affect my OB, and the relationship between laboring moms and the birth workers that support them. Katherine is a seasoned Doula and Birth Photographer in New York, with an interesting perspective on the role of a doula, how the Pandemic has impacted her clients’ birth plans, and how birth workers are thinking about protecting not only their clients but also themselves.

30 min
03/14/2020

Episode 1: Searching For Answers In A State Of Emergency

On the morning of the state of emergency over the Coronavirus, I find myself 36 weeks pregnant in NYC with my second child. Seeking information, tools and camaraderie, I’ve launched this podcast for women in a similar position. Let’s get through this together.

4 min

9 Episodes

4.3

out of 5

3 Ratings

Musings, fears and research of a mom who is 36 weeks pregnant, 42 years old, and living in NYC during the Coronavirus outbreak.

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PreggersNYC
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9
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Pregnant in a Pandemic

Episodes

Episode 9. Seven days home from the hospital. Missing my Village.

Episode 8. Birth Story. She’s here!

Episode 7. Diary: 3/28. Anxiety Surge

Episode 6. Lori the Postpartum Return To Work Expert, Founder of Mindful Return

Episode 5. Cara the Pregnant NYC Medical Resident. 13 Weeks Along With a Toddler at Home.

Episode 4. Caila the Pre/Postnatal Personal Trainer Offering Free Virtual Classes

Episode 3: Hannah the Pilates Instructor. Changing Her Birth Plan at 37 Weeks

Episode 2. Katherine the Doula Shares The Birth Workers’ Perspective

Episode 1: Searching For Answers In A State Of Emergency

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