CAPE CORAL, Fla. — New mothers, healthcare workers, and families across the country are welcoming babies into the year of the Coronavirus pandemic, and they are trying to do with some normalcy in the labor and delivery unit, which is the goal of Nancy Travis, the unit's director at Cape Coral Hospital.
“So they are able to walk the halls and we try to keep things pretty normal. So they are able to walk around during labor, walk around the unit, they are allowed to get into our birthing tubs, another comfort measure that moms like to use in labor and everything else is pretty normal,” said Nancy Travis, Director of Women’s and Neonatal Services, at Cape Coral Hospital.
At the same time, there are restrictions in place to keep, everyone Covid safe, and those rules apply to mothers who have tested positive or negative for Coronavirus.
“So right now the mom is allowed 2 consistent visitors for her entire stay and it’s a lot less than what is in the normal times because in normal times our rooms are pretty full with lots of family and friends coming to see new mothers, so that has been the biggest struggle for us,” said Travis.
For Covid positive moms, these restrictions are even tighter with limited visitation and room confinement, However, one measure that has remained is the skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their babies after birth.
“Especially helps with the babies' temperature control, it helps their blood sugar control, it also gets breastfeeding off to a great start and it helps with bonding of course. Now with the Covid positive mom that was stopped for a little bit, now, we are allowing if the mom is healthy enough and the mom feels up to it, she’s still allowed the skin to skin time with her baby,” said Travis.
One mother who also happens to be a nurse in the same unit at Travis says, the delivery process was intense seeing everyone in Covid - 19 personal protective equipment.
“It was a crazy experience seeing everyone in a mask and while delivering, my husband's expression, I just looked at his eyes. It is what it is I guess I tried to see it in a positive way instead of becoming depressed. Even though everything was crazy and everything was happening it was the year I became a mom so I don’t want to forget this year,” said Carolina Machado Gamero, new mother and registered nurse in labor and delivery at Cape Coral Hospital.
