Pregnancy During a Pandemic
Congratulations to Dr. Amy Hammers and family, who welcomed baby Elijah Gregory on May 20!
Dr. Amy Hammers navigated pregnancy during a pandemic along with her patients and shared the following prior to delivery.
“It has been a roller coaster of emotions! At the beginning, when there was so much unknown and the world of healthcare was changing so rapidly, I had many ‘what-if’ thoughts,” Dr. Hammers shared. “There are still many unknowns but every day feels a bit more routine and I’m thankful to have stayed healthy and am very excited to welcome my new little guy in a few weeks. I am also looking forward to the excellent care I know I will continue to receive from the hospital, no matter what the current healthcare environment looks like at the time.”
She encourages her patients to focus even more on staying healthy in the weeks leading up to their due dates, particularly as Minnesota allows more businesses to open. This includes social distancing, working from home or taking time off work, and avoiding anyone who is sick.
“If women are healthy coming in to the hospital for delivery, their experience and care is pretty routine – having a new baby is always exciting!” she added. “I also talk to my patients about the importance of feeling safe – at home, in whatever work environment they currently are in and at the hospital. Communicating to your employer, family, friends and care team what you need to continue to feel safe and healthy is very important.”
Dr. Hammers added that many expectant moms are concerned they won’t be able to have a partner with them in the delivery room, based on previous news stories in other locations, but assured that this is not true at any local hospitals when moms arrive healthy. All patients are now screened for COVID-19 before moving to labor and delivery.
For her part, Dr. Hammers enjoyed a healthy pregnancy, other than “the normal pregnancy aches and pains” and a smooth delivery.
