Childbirth in the New Normal

When a woman gives birth, it is a joyful event. The roller coaster ride of pregnancy is finally over. The feeling of seeing your baby for the first time is ecstatic. Yet, little did we know that giving birth requires so much preparation may it be physically, mentally, and financially.

 

 

This year was tough for the fact that the virus is existing. The pandemic changed the accustomed lives of the people that includes delivering a baby. Before the pandemic, giving birth is a smooth sailing process. The pregnant woman goes to the hospital and will be waiting in the labor room until her cervix is fully dilated. She will be in the delivery room where there is plenty of staff. Once the baby is out, the mother is ready to be transferred to her chosen accommodation – ward, semi-private room, or private room. If there are no complications with the baby, the baby joins the mother in the room accommodation. Relatives and friends of the woman who gave birth will then visit the hospital whenever they want to congratulate the mother and welcome the baby. However, this child delivery routine changed a whole lot this year.

 

In this pandemic time, childbirth is much more complicated and expensive. Physicians, nurses, and other medical staff that will assist the patient are required to wear a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times. This personal protective gear is being charged to the patient’s bill. Another thing that makes childbirth complicated and expensive is because hospitals now require rapid test/ swab tests for everyone who is trying to get admitted. Swab test in the Philippines costs 3,500-6,500 per head. If the person shows signs of fever and cough, then there is a big possibility that the hospital will reject you and transfer you to a Covid isolation facility while waiting for your swab test result to come out. So, imagine being pregnant going through labor and in isolation, is such a hassle? Bills in the hospital are also much higher now because of sanitation costs. For example, in one hospital in the Philippines - the ward package before the pandemic was just 14,000 pesos, but recently it has been raised to 16,000 pesos. All these factors are the reason why most pregnant women prefer to give birth in lying in’s instead than in the hospital because it is much cheaper and not that risky.

 

Even though the process seems to be different now than what we have been used to, we have no choice but to go along, for it is part of the new normal. Pregnant women are one of those vulnerable sectors that are much affected by this pandemic. Giving birth at this time is much riskier than before. One should prepare in all aspects.

 

 

Contributor/Article by: JC 

Edited by: NjA 
NjA Art 

Photography: Kelvin Octa

@pexels.com 

(free to use photo - no attribution required but prefer to give credits to the website and artist for their expertise)