BOZEMAN — Right now can be a stressful time for anyone, especially if you have to worry about delivering and nurturing a newborn baby in the middle of a pandemic.
“Actually there’s two main differences. One is that instead of having multiple people at the bedside, there’s one support person, one caregiver,” explained Dr. Melissa Wolf, an OBGYN at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital.
And the second difference has more to do with the staff than the expecting mother.
“You will still see us wearing a surgical mask. We will have eyewear on or maybe a face shield and then we always wear gloves and you might also see us in a gown or different scrub top,” explained Dr. Angie Ostrowski, a pediatrician at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital.
Which these doctors say isn’t a hindrance.
“It just adds a layer between you and the patient. But fortunately, they know us from the office, so we’re still familiar to the patient,” Wolf said.
While there are those two differences, the doctors say the care is the exact same.
“Once the baby is born and stabilized and doing great, at some point in the next, usually within the next 12 hours, a pediatrician will see the baby and do their assessments, and then if there’s any intervention needed with the baby, we’re involved very intimately as well,” Ostrowski said.
If a mother was suspected or tested positive for the coronavirus, the doctors say they would be ready to treat her.
“I think the biggest thing is, we have done a lot of work to prepare and we feel like we’re in a good position that if this comes up, and it might come up, that we’re in a good position to take care of our patients as well as our staff,” Ostrowski explained.
The doctors recommend any new moms to try and relax as much as possible and continue following guidelines from their regular doctors.