What happens if I have COVID symptoms when pregnant?

Pregnancy is one of the most amazing experiences for a woman. It is also one of the riskiest. Nurturing a life inside you brings immeasurable joy and immense difficulty as your body works twice as hard for months. This is why pregnant women are included in the list of people at moderate risk (clinically vulnerable) during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Although most research world-wide shows that being pregnant will not put you at higher risk of getting COVID than other healthy adults, it did show that pregnant women are most likely to become severely ill and will have serious complications if they catch COVID 19.

Most pregnant women suffering from COVID 19 will show no or mild symptoms like cold or flu. But pregnant women who are on their third trimester have an increased risk of becoming severely unwell, with a bigger chance of having complications like pre mature labour, still birth or death.

Studies around the world have shown that pregnant women with COVID 19 are most likely to be admitted to an Intensive Care Unit. In most cases, this was because it was recommended that their babies were born early, for the benefit of the women’s health and to enable them to recover. It was noted that they are at high risk of developing pre-eclampsia, most likely to need an emergency caesarean and the risk of pre mature birth. But it is comforting to note that the actual number of stillbirths remains low. Babies born before full term (before 37 weeks) are vulnerable to problems associated with being born prematurely – the earlier in the pregnancy a baby is born, the more vulnerable they are.

Who is high risk?

Studies across the world show that pregnant women under the following categories have a higher risk of being admitted to the hospital for COVID 19.

-Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds

-35 years old and above

-Obese

-With pre-existing medical condition(s) such as high blood pressure and diabetes

-On the 3rd trimester

What if I’m pregnant and have COVID-19 symptoms?

Remember the main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

-Remember the main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

-High temperature

-New and/or continuous cough

If you have any of these, self-isolate and contact your midwife or your OB GYNE, so they can give advice and monitor your condition. If you feel that your symptoms are getting worse or are not getting better, you must seek medical advice as soon as possible.

If a family member has COVID symptoms, the pregnant woman must isolate until the availability of negative PCR test or up to 10 days since last contact with the family member with COVID symptoms.

What if I develop a temperature but my COVID test result is negative?

Having a fever or high temperature during pregnancy needs investigating, as it might be a sign for other possible infection. In particular, it may be a sign of a urine infection and/or your water breaking, especially if this is accompanied by burning or discomfort when passing urine or any unusual vaginal discharge. Also, be alert to changes in your baby’s movements; if you have any concerns, seek medical advice as soon as possible.

What would happen to my baby if I got COVID-19?

There has been no evidence to show that the COVID virus can cause problems with the baby’s development. Spreading of the virus from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth is not common. Babies might get infected but the reason is not because of mode of birth, feeding choice or skin to skin contact after birth. In fact, regarding actual reported cases of new-borns developing COVID 19 right after birth, these babies remained in good health.

Is it safe to breastfeed if I have COVID 19?

According to research studies, breast milk will not spread the COVID 19 virus to the baby. The main concern is when the mother gives the virus to the baby by kissing, coughing or talking during breast feeding.

If you have COVID 19, take extra care not to spread the virus to your baby. This can be done by washing your hands before breast feeding and wearing a face mask while feeding. Avoid kissing your baby and keep your 2-meter distance as much as possible until you have a negative swab result or have finished isolating. You can pump breast milk to be given to your baby as an alternative, but make sure to wash your hands and wear your face mask throughout the whole procedure.

Source :

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist

Royal College of Midwives

Royal College of Pediatricians and child health

World Health Organisation

Joint Committee on vaccination and immunisation

Mayo Clinic US