Beth Waters says she has no choice but to isolate due to difficulty in accessing fourth doses and the lack of Covid measures at large
As the latest wave of Covid-19 sweeps the country, pregnant women are being forgotten once again. Not so long ago, women were receiving mixed messages from healthcare providers on whether or not the new vaccines were safe in pregnancy, with many being actively discouraged. This resulted in disproportionately high numbers of otherwise healthy unvaccinated pregnant women in hospital with severe disease, and led to deaths.
Now we are in the midst of another wave. I am 37 weeks pregnant with my second baby, and I am not eligible for the fourth dose. I feel very vulnerable due to the lack of free testing and mask mandates. My midwife tells me that Covid-19 can increase the risk of blood clotting in the placenta, which can lead to stillbirth, and so pregnant women who catch it are prescribed blood thinners based on their risk. But surely prevention should come before management?
