Covid-19 & Mandala Midwifery Care

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Mandala Families and Clients:

We understand many (if not all of you) have coronavirus on your minds.  We do as well.  Mandala Midwifery Care has been following the coronavirus situation closely here in MN, nationally and globally.  We are working to stay on top of how the virus affects people in the childbearing year by receiving regular information from fellow midwives, the MN Department of Health and the CDC.  The health and wellbeing of our clients is at the forefront of our minds and we are taking this threat very seriously.

So as of today (3/16/2020) how is this impacting those who Mandala Midwifery Care serves?

Fertility/Family Building Clients – At this time, we are being informed that the virus has very little impact on those wanting to conceive and grow their families, though some people may choose to hold off due to the chaos of the world’s current situation.  Mandala Midwifery Care will continue offering insemination services to clients who are symptom and risk-free.

Prenatal/Homebirth Care – For those who are already pregnant, we are paying close attention to other countries where people have labored and birthed while sick with coronavirus.  The little evidence we have is leaning towards no vertical transmission between birthing parent and baby. As long as families have no signs or symptoms of coronavirus, home may be the safest place for babies to be born.  Mandala Midwifery Care will continue to provide prenatal and homebirth care to our existing clients and are relaxing our late-to-care guidelines to welcome into our care low-risk people who are changing their birth location late in the game.

We are committed to safe practices that best protect those we serve and will continue to update ourselves and all of you as new information and protocols become available.  We greatly appreciate all of our clients’ flexibility and patience as this situation changes and evolves.

Some things we would like you to know:

  • All clients and their families should do their best to follow MDH recommendations:
  1. Wash hands regularly with soap – 20 secs of scrubbing and at least 15 sec of rinsing.
  2. Stay home and practice social distancing.
  3. Cover coughs and sneezes with an elbow instead of hands.
  4. Avoid touching your face, especially the mouth, nose, and eyes.
  5. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Did we say this one already?  It is worth repeating!!  Wash your hands, wash your kid’s hands, wash your baby’s hands, wash your spouse’s hands (ok maybe spouses can wash their own hands!)!
  • MMC is switching to Telehealth visits for any non-essential visits, consultations, and classes. You will be sent a link to Doxy prior to your visit for us to have a confidential video visit.  We are also being meticulous about our office space.  All surfaces get washed down and sanitized between each and every in-person visit.
  • If your midwife team comes down with symptoms, back-up midwives may step in on your care team. We will not see you if we have any of the known symptoms or have had exposure to the virus.  If you are at the end of your pregnancy or early in the postpartum time, another midwife will take over your care, assuming one is available.  We are very fortunate here in the metro area to have a network of cooperative, loving and skilled midwives who are committed to helping each other and our families get through this difficult time.
  • Prior to any in-person contact, MMC will be screening folks for any signs or symptoms of the virus and any possible recent exposure to the virus. Please cancel or reschedule your visit if you have any risk factors.  (fever, cough, shortness of breath or been around someone with those symptoms) We serve many people and new babies and it is important that your midwife team is able to stay healthy.  Due to the extra safety that community birth entails, MMC will not be closing down completely at any point.
  • If you are a pregnant client of MMC and feel like you have any symptoms or risk give Janine a call right away. If you are seeking services with MMC other than prenatal care and have coronavirus symptoms, please reach out to your regular general practitioner for their protocols for assessment and testing.  You can also reach out to the MN Department of Health’s hotline at 651-201-3920.  Free online assessments with a physician are now available at Oncare.org.
  • For those that need to come into the MMC office for visit, we ask that you limit the number of guests you bring with you and that you wash your hands first thing upon joining us in our space. For those that need to bring children with you, we have removed most of the toys in the office for the safety of all kids.  Please bring along anything they need to be entertained during the visit.  We love big siblings to participate in care but for now, it might be safest to leave them at home with another caregiver.
  • We also want all home birth families to know that due to the increase risks for respiratory difficulty for both birthing parent and baby, those with an active coronavirus infection when labor starts will be transferred to their back up hospital. At this time it is the safest place for your birth for both you and baby.  To the extent possible we will speak with the receiving physician/midwife to ensure as smooth of a transition as possible.  As always, MMC is available for phone, facetime, or text support during your labor and delivery. Once no longer contagious, MMC will resume your normal postpartum visits.
  • As always you can give Janine Stiles, CPM a call with any questions or concerns.

 

Signs and symptoms to look out for: Fever, cough, shortness of breath.