PATIENTS IS ESPECIALLY % CHALLENGING FOR PREGNANT %
HEALTHCARE WORKERS. %
WE SPOKE WITH FIVE EXPECTANT %
MOTHERS EACH FRONTLINE DOCTORS %
ABOUT HOW THE PANDEMIC %
IMPACTS THEIR PROFESSIONAL AND
PERSONAL LIFE.
PERSONAL LIFE. >> ONE OF THE SCARIEST PARTS %
OF THIS EPIDEMIC IS THE %
UNKNOWN. %
UNKNOWN. % >> THERE’S NOT A LOT OF GOOD %
INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. %
>> LITTLE IS STILL KNOWN ABOUT %
THE REAL RISK FOR PREGNANT
WOMEN. %
WOMEN. % >> I FEEL LIKE IF I HAVEN’T %
ALREADY HAD AND I’M GOING TO %
GET IT IN JUST A MATTER OF %
TIME. %
TIME. % >> I PUT UP THAT PHOTO OF %
MYSELF AND I POSTED IT BECAUSE
AS THIS CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC %
WAS STARTING TO UNROLL BEFORE %
US, THERE SEEMED TO BE A MORAL
DILEMMA EMERGING BETWEEN THE %
OBLIGATION YOU HAVE AS A %
MOTHER AND AS A PREGNANT %
PERSON AND YOUR OBLIGATION AS %
A PHYSICIAN MAC. %
I REALLY WAS JUST GRAPPLING %
WITH THE THOUGHT OF HOW DO YOU %
BALANCE THESE COMPETING %
OBLIGATIONS?
OBLIGATIONS? >> THERE WAS REALLY AN %
EXPONENTIAL RISE HERE IN NEW %
YORK IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF %
CASES.
CASES. MY LAST FEW WEEKS OF WORK WERE
CORRELATING THE RISE AND I’M %
AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN MAC AND %
USED TO BEING ON THE FRONT %
LINES AND INTERACTING VERY %
INTIMATELY WITH THE PUBLIC.
I THINK AS PART OF MY JOB I %
HAVE A HIGHER SOCIAL RISK AND %
PRESUME I WILL BE EXPOSED TO
MANY THINGS.
MANY THINGS. THIS BROUGHT A WHOLE NEW LEVEL %
OF UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR. %
>> IT’S A CONCERN THAT NEVER
QUITE LEAVES. WHETHER I WAS %
PREGNANT OR NOT AND ESPECIALLY %
NOW THAT I AM PREGNANT,
COMFORTABLE AS I AM WITH ALL %
THESE THINGS THAT I HAVE %
CLINICALLY, STILL AN EVOLVING %
VIRUS AND STILL LEARNING HOW %
TO BEST TREAT OUR PATIENTS AND %
PRESENT OURSELVES AS WELL. %
CERTAINLY NOW ADDED TO THAT %
WOULD BE A PREGNANCY.
>> LABOR AND DELIVERY IS THE %
FRONT LINES BUT IT HAS ITS %
UNIQUE INTRICACIES THAT MAKE %
US DIFFERENT THAN THE %
EMERGENCY ROOM. %
OUR PATIENTS HAVE A HIGH %
INCENTIVE TO PRESENT HEALTHY %
AND WITHOUT SYMPTOMS AND %
WITHOUT FEVER. %
THERE’S A LOT OF FEAR FOR
PATIENTS ABOUT LOSING THEIR
SUPPORT PERSON, OR HAVING %
RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY ARE %
SEPARATED FROM THEIR BABY.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF INCENTIVE %
TO HIDE THOSE SYMPTOMS. SO %
WHAT MAKES ME FEEL COULD BE IN %
N95 MASK FOR EVERY DELIVERY %
AND THAT’S NOT SOMETHING WE %
HAVE BEEN PROVIDED YET. %
I KNOW WE ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY. %
A BIG PART THAT MAKES IT %
UNIQUE IS WHEN WE DO DELIVERIES%
I’M WITHIN A COUPLE OF FEET OF
A MOTHER WHO IS FORCEFULLY %
BREATHING AND TRYING TO RUSH %
OUT NEW LIFE, AND I PUTTING AT %
RISK. %
RISK. % >> A LOT OF PHYSICIANS ARE %
EMPLOYED BY COMPANIES OUTSIDE %
THE HOSPITALS AND CONTRACT %
WITH HOSPITAL SO I’M NOT %
TECHNICALLY A HOSPITAL %
EMPLOYEE.
EMPLOYEE. THAT I KNOW OF WE DON’T GET %
ANY PAYMENT OR ANYTHING BUT WE %
HAVE TO TAKE TIME OFF. %
>> IT’S DEFINITELY NEED TO
WORK LONGER BECAUSE I DON’T
WANT TO BE GONE TOO LONG AND %
HAVE MY COWORKERS BE STRESSED
WITH HAVING TO COVER MORE %
SHIFTS FOR ME NOT BEING THERE. %
THAT ALONG WITH THE FACT IT’S %
UNPAID. THAT’S ONLY A FACTOR %
THAT GOES THROUGH MY HEAD.
>> SO COMING TO WORK EVERY DAY %
THINKING ABOUT MY PATIENTS, %
I’M PREGNANT AND I KNOW THERE %
IS AN ADDED LAYER OF FEAR %
RIGHT NOW IN UNKNOWN.
I JUST LOVE WALKING THROUGH %
THE DOOR AND HAVING SOMEONE
THEY RECOGNIZE IN SUCH A SCARY %
AND UNKNOWN TIME. %
>> THIS HAS BEEN WHAT WE HAVE %
BEEN TRAINED FOR. %
WE TRAINED OUR ENTIRE LIVES TO %
BE IN THIS MOMENT.
IT IS MY DUTY AND MY %
OBLIGATION AND MY HONOR AND %
PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO HELP %
THOSE SUFFERING. %
IF I CAN OFFER THAT THEN I %
WILL HAVE DONE WHAT I WAS SET %
OUT TO DO.