Pregnant and COVID Positive?

It’s pure torture. 😖 Or at least it was for me…

Some months back in my 2nd trimester I was tested COVID positive and it’s an experience I strongly do not recommend to anyone.

(Unless you’re a mean person/animal abuser/child abuser or someone of the like, then please go ahead and knock yourself out)

What It Felt Like

Like there was perpetually a tonne of bricks pressing against my chest. For those who are unfamiliar, feeling breathless is already quite a default while pregnant. Reason being, the baby is growing and the other organs (lungs included) are squeezed up against each other like a Tokyo rush hour train.

So, now your squeezed lungs are also COVID-infected… f**k. ☹️

It was hard to even speak. I remember giving the worst presentation of my life (or as far as my pregnant-brain can remember) on the first day my symptoms started developing. It was like I was talking through an asthma attack.

On the bright side, almost everyone I work with knew I was sick because of that presentation. And no one disturbed me at all while I rested. 😄

To add cream on the top, I also had terrible headaches and coughs.

It was actually impossible to get any quality sleep because I couldn’t breathe. There were many times I woke up and would see my worried husband looking at me, and trying to get me to use the asthma puff.

Why It Sucks Extra When Pregnant

Other than the already-compressed lungs, you’re also unable to take stronger medications to protect the baby.

So, not only are you in greater pain – you’re in greater pain for longer.

And some nurses also told me to try abstaining from the asthma puff (unless absolutely necessary) for my baby’s well-being.

Once they said this, I took it a biiiit too far… 😅 I absolutely refused to use the puff, until one day I was so breathless and lacked so much oxygen that I had to be sent to the hospital via ambulance. 🚑🚨

It was really depressing in the hospital though. About 90% of the other patients at the hospital I was brought to were senior citizens, who had all sorts of needs at every second. And you could see the medical team in a mix of flurry, frustration, exhaustion and sometimes even helplessness.

So, as soon as my oxygen level was in the safe range, I asked to go home. Because being pregnant doesn’t mean I get the ultimate priority – everything has to be within reason. And our medical resources were much more needed elsewhere.

Plus, with my hormones and that depressing place… I was on the brink of tears. 😢

The overall negative mood was really upsetting me. I felt awful for taking up medical resources when there are others that need it more, I felt so sad thinking of Mark’s worried face when the ambulance came to whisk me away… 😭😭

The Road to Recovery

Couldn’t have done it without my loving husband who did everything he could for me. 🥰

In total, I took around 8-9 days to recover and test COVID negative. The first 5 days were the worst, then it gradually got better. 😊

And actually I’m quite grateful that I got it during that time. My 2nd trimester was a lot easier to manage than my 3rd trimester, and apparently getting COVID when pregnant helps build the baby’s natural resistance against the virus too! 🦠🚫

If you’re pregnant and COVID positive, don’t freak! You got this, momma. 💪🏻 It’s not going to be easy, but I just kept on thinking how my discomfort is an investment for my baby’s future comfort. ❤️👶🏻

Thanks for reading! Stay safe.

XOXO, G.