A study was released today of 215 maternity patients at NYC hospital. 13.5 % of maternity patients admitted to L&D tested positive for COVID but were asymptomatic, signaling the need & importance of universal testing for all maternity patients.

There was also a news story of 2 NY mothers who asymptomatic upon admittance but developed symptoms during labor. Several nurses and doctors were exposed to them during their care.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2009316

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/parenting/nyc-coronavirus-hospitals-delivery.amp.html

I called Sibley to ask how they are doing testing. Apparently, they are running the tests in-house and it takes between 45 mins - 1.5 hours for results to come back. While moms are waiting for results, you wait in a negative pressure room. If it comes back negative, you go into a regular L&D room.

Not sure what happens in you have a fast labor tho??? Forgot to ask that, but I assume you would just end up delivering in the negative pressure room.

Surprised Shady Grove hasn’t already started universal testing of all moms, especially because the number of infections in MoCo is so high and it’s a popular hospital for L&D

Impossible to have natural labor with a mask on.

GW is definitely testing every maternity patient, per OB this week. I didn't know about masks for laboring women, though, and that seems surprising if they are going to find out if you're positive or not (supposedly get results back in 2 hours). Will have to ask about that.

I just called Shady Grove hospital & talked to my OB today. At this time, they are not testing maternity patients. Only screening for symptoms, like coughing/fever/temperature. Maybe they plan to roll out testing soon, but the maternity ward staff didn’t give any indication on if they will or when.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will 100% wear a mask to protect nurses and doctors and health care workers. What if I am carrying this virus and am without symptoms?

I am willing to be uncomfortable to protect the folks caring for others.

I mean... if they are testing you they will know you if don't have the virus right?

Yes. They're testing you, and you've presumably been in isolation for over a month. The chances of you having it are slim to none if both of those cases are true. It's the hospital staff that are far more likely to have it than you are at this point. I can barely breathe through the mask going to the grocery store. How am I supposed to push out a baby (who is also depending on me to be able to breathe) with a mask on, when last time I needed supplemental oxygen to get through it? Wearing a mask while in early labor? Totally fine. Wearing a mask while pushing? Not practical.

It's their hospital though, and they make the rules, so if I want to use their services, I'll buck up and follow them.

Anonymous wrote:PP 11:22 How were you able to confirm that Shady Grove is testing maternity patients? Is that for all maternity patients? That’s great if they are. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how they would detect asymptomatic moms & visitors.

I heard this a few weeks ago from my MFM specialist. She was there and they were training everyone to administer the tests an reformatting protocols.

Anonymous wrote:I will 100% wear a mask to protect nurses and doctors and health care workers. What if I am carrying this virus and am without symptoms?

I am willing to be uncomfortable to protect the folks caring for others.

I mean... if they are testing you they will know you if don't have the virus right?

PP 11:22 How were you able to confirm that Shady Grove is testing maternity patients? Is that for all maternity patients? That’s great if they are. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how they would detect asymptomatic moms & visitors.

I will 100% wear a mask to protect nurses and doctors and health care workers. What if I am carrying this virus and am without symptoms?

I am willing to be uncomfortable to protect the folks caring for others.

GW is one of the other hospitals also requiring laboring women to wear a mask. Ugh. I can't imagine keeping a mask on for labor.

I’m due deliver at shady grove in May. I have heard there is a strict one visitor policy. They were just taking temperatures but have started testing. Not sure if the visitor is permitted to leave and come back. I think things are changing day by day over there.

I don’t know about shady grove, but yes, it’s part of the policy at some hospitals now. Masks for everyone (patient, support person, and staff) in L&D.

I can’t imagine wearing a mask during labor. That seems like insanity. It was hard enough to breathe and manage the contractions as is. The masks make me feel like I’m suffocating just walking in a grocery store.

I really hope they’re not forcing that on laboring women...

Has anyone delivered recently at Shady Grove (or know someone)? I’m due to deliver at Shady Grove in 3 weeks and wondering how people’s experience has been and what the current COVID protocol for moms is? I’ve heard the hospital is screening moms for symptoms but NOT testing (not sure how they are appropriately screening asymptomatic people???) and are making moms wear surgical masks during labor & delivery. Is this true? Apparently Sibley Hospital is testing all moms.

Thanks in advance!