COVID-19: Pregnancy FAQs

Can COVID-19 Cause Problems for a Woman's Pregnancy or Her Baby?

COVID-19 during pregnancy usually causes a mild illness and women recover fully. But studies show that those who are or were recently pregnant and get COVID-19 are more at risk for severe illness than women who aren't pregnant. They're also more likely to have problems that can affect their baby than pregnant woman who don’t have COVID-19 (for example, their babies are more likely to be born early or have trouble breathing). So, it's important to protect yourself by following all recommended pregnancy precautions.

How Can Pregnant Women Protect Themselves From COVID-19?

To protect yourself from COVID-19 and other infections if you're pregnant:

• Get your updated COVID-19 vaccine to help prevent severe illness. This also helps protect the baby from getting very sick with COVID-19 in the first 6 months of life.
• Wash your hands well and often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay away from sick people.
• Avoid large crowds and consider masking when you are in an indoor crowded area.
• Clean and disinfect things that people touch a lot, like phones, doorknobs, and counters.

If I Get COVID-19 While I'm Pregnant, Can I Pass it to My Baby?

Experts believe that the risk of a pregnant woman passing COVID-19 to her fetus is possible. It seems more likely to happen if the mother was very sick while infected, or was infected just before giving birth. Doctors recommend testing healthy babies born to mothers with COVID-19. This will help with plans to care for the baby in the hospital and when the baby is home.

After they're born, babies can catch the virus from an infected parent. But doctors do not recommend separating an infected mother from her newborn unless she is too sick to care for the baby. If the mother feels well enough, she can care for and feed her baby while wearing a mask and washing her hands well and often.

What Should I Do if I'm Pregnant and Get Sick?

The symptoms of COVID-19 can be like those of other viruses, like colds and the flu. So chances are, unless you get tested, you won't know if you have COVID-19.

Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms, such as:

• cough
• fever
• symptoms of a cold such as a sore throat, congestion, or a runny nose
• chills
• muscle pain
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea

Get care right away if you:

• have trouble breathing
• have severe belly pain
• have pain or pressure in the chest
• are confused 
• have trouble staying awake
• look bluish in the lips or face

These symptoms can be warning signs of serious illness.

Most people who get sick can be cared for at home with fluids and rest. But if your symptoms are severe or getting worse, you need to see a health care provider. A doctor might prescribe antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, or might suggest other ways to treat the symptoms.

Where Can I Learn More About COVID-19?

For more information, visit the World Health Organization (WHO) website.