Blog

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives inside and outside of the hospital, questions remain about the virus and its ramifications for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care. Still, we know far more about the novel coronavirus than we did earlier this year. And new research is ongoing around the world, so we're learning more all the time.

Now that we're more than six months into the pandemic, it's a good time to take a look back at how we got here and a look ahead at the emerging science, especially as it relates to expecting and new parents.

For decades, it's been "normal" for soon-to-be parents to attend childbirth education classes at hospitals or birthing centers. But for expecting parents in 2020, nothing has gone according to plan. By mid-March, due to concerns about COVID-19, hospitals across the country were canceling in-person childbirth, breastfeeding, newborn care, and grandparenting classes. These developments left already anxious expecting families feeling even more so.

Nurses work on the front lines of health care for women and babies. They do this without fanfare every single day of the year. Women's health, obstetric, and neonatal nurses are at their patients' sides for some of the most significant moments in their lives, providing specialized care for women and their newborns. And we have a message for these dedicated nurses: Thank you for your service.

Even as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our health care system, babies continue to arrive. This means nurses and others who provide care are working harder than ever. And as hospitals across the country are canceling in-person childbirth education classes, expectant parents are anxious about what this means for their pregnancy and the birth of their baby. We're here to help.