How will the COVID-19 pandemic impact my prenatal care?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority is to keep our patients, staff, and communities safe. To do this, we are limiting in-person contact by reducing in-person visits at your prenatal clinic and the hospital. We are doing this by replacing some in-person care with virtual prenatal care.

What is virtual prenatal care?

Virtual prenatal care is a safe, convenient way to get your prenatal care from home. Using your phone, computer, or tablet, you can sign into a private telephone call or video conference with your doctor or nurse practitioner for your prenatal checkup appointments.

Will I still get the same quality of prenatal care?

You will still receive the same high-quality care and the same number of prenatal services you normally would. Some services may be grouped together to reduce the number of times you have to come to your prenatal clinic. You and your doctor or nurse practitioner will review the visit schedule below, and make sure that it will work for you and your needs.

What can I expect during my prenatal care visits?

Descriptions of each of your visits starting with your first visit (intake) are outlined below.

8-9 Weeks	Zoom or phone visit
12-13 Weeks	Clinic visit with Nurse Practitioner for Ultrasound, labs, and exam
16 Weeks	Zoom or phone visit primarily with Nurse Practitioner
20 Weeks	Clinic visit with Doctor and Ultrasound in Radiology
24 Weeks	Zoom or phone visit primarily with Nurse Practitioner
28 Weeks	Clinic visit with Doctor for Rhogam (if applicable), Glucola, and TDap
32 Weeks	Clinic visit primarily with Nurse Practitioner
34 Weeks	Zoom or phone visit primarily with Nurse Practitioner
36 Weeks	Clinic visit with Doctor or Nurse Practitioner for GBS
37+ Weeks	Clinic visits with Doctor

 

Will I receive additional prenatal education?

Yes, in addition to the prenatal education your doctor or nurse practitioner will provide at your in-person visits, you now have access to Injoy Digital Maternity Education. This is an online resource to help support your learning. The Injoy materials cover a range of topics such as pregnancy, infant care, comfort measures in labor, proper breastfeeding positioning, baby development milestones, and infant behavior.

To register for Injoy Digital Maternity Education, call the OB clinic at (218) 545-1049 (option #2) and our team will supply you with instructions and a digital access code to enter the online maternity education modules.

For Additional Educational Resources, click the links below:

• Healthy Eating During Pregnancy
• Nutrition During Pregnancy FAQs
• Medication Use
• Healthy Weight Gain
• Work Exposure/Risks
• Travel
• Zika
• Miscarriage Precautions
• Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Substances
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pregnancy FAQs

Do I need to purchase any equipment for my virtual visits?

You are not required to purchase any equipment to prepare for your virtual visits. However, you may choose to purchase devices such as a blood pressure cuff to monitor your blood pressure, or a fetal Doppler monitor to check your baby’s heart rate for your own reassurance. If you choose to monitor these, you can do so before your appointment and share your values with your doctor or nurse practitioner at your virtual visit.

• Blood pressure cuff: a device used to measure blood pressure that consists of an inflatable cuff, a measuring unit, and a mechanism for inflation which may be a manually operated bulb and valve or a pump operated electrically.
• Fetal Doppler monitor: a handheld ultrasound device that helps detect your baby’s heart beats.

If you would like to purchase a home fetal Doppler monitor, we have a list of recommended devices below.

Recommended Fetal Dopplers:

• Nueby Portable Baby Doppler Fetal Heart Rate Monitor
• Facelake JPD-100B/FL-100B Fetal Doppler 
• Facelake FD200 Fetal Doppler
• Facelake FD300 Fetal Doppler
• Facelake FD320 Fetal Doppler
• Sonoline B Baby Activity and Heartbeat Monitor
• Edan SD1 Ultrasonic Pocket Doppler
• Summit Doppler LifeDop 150 Fetal Doppler

We also recommend purchasing extra ultrasound gel to use with your fetal Doppler, such as Parker Aquasonic 100 Ultrasound Transmission Gel. 

In addition, there are a number of apps to help you measure your baby's heart rate at home. These devices are not FDA approved, but may be helpful for providing reassurance during your pregnancy! 

Recommended Blood Pressure Cuff Models:

• Omron 7 Series® Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (Model BP7350). Available at Omron Healthcare, Walmart, and CVS.
• Omron Platinum® (Model BP5450). Available at Omron Healthcare and Amazon.
• A&D Medical Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor with Medium Cuff (Model UA-611). Available at Amazon.
• Omron 3 Series® Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor (Model BP7100). Available at Omron Healthcare and Amazon.
• Withings BPM Connect Wi-Fi Smart Blood Pressure Monitor (iPhone and iPad Compatible). Available at Apple.

How do I measure my baby’s movements with “kick counts”?

1. Get relaxed and comfortable. Loosen tight clothing. Lay down on your side or sit with your feet propped up. Minimize distractions like your phone and TV to help you concentrate.
2. Note the time you start. Count movements until you reach 5. Each roll, kick, punch, or twist counts as 1 fetal movement. If the baby is quiet, drink a glass of cold juice and start over.
3. Note the time you finish counting.

How can I feel supported while practicing “social distancing” during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Social distancing is intentionally keeping physical space between you and other people to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. We know this can be difficult, especially during pregnancy. However, it is for the health and safety of yourself and your baby that we ask you to practice social distancing to the best of your ability.

Should I have my baby at home?

We still recommend that you deliver at the hospital where we have all available resources to help you, not at home. We have infection control procedures in place to help keep all of our mothers and babies safe. Due to the rapid changes to COVID-19 in Minnesota, our policies are changing regularly. At this time, patients coming to the birth center are allowed to have 1 support person with them for their delivery. If you have more questions, you can reach out directly to your doctor or nurse practitioner through the patient portal.

Thank you for choosing to receive your care at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center and for helping us take the best care of our patients during the COVID-19 pandemic!

 

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