Navigating Pregnancy and Parenting in the COVID-19 Era

It’s difficult to summarize the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on every single person not only in this country but around the world. Throughout the pandemic, so many of us have lost a loved one, suffered through COVID-19, or watched your child get sick. We've navigated mask-wearing, quarantine, and online school. Collective humanity has been going through this together since the first cluster of cases was reported in Wuhan, China in December of 2019.

The fear of the unknown was so real for our family in 2020, and I’m sure many of you can relate. As a wife and mother of two school-aged girls, the anxiety I felt was at times almost unbearable. The fear often manifested itself into physical symptoms that made me question whether I was sick myself. 

What tempered the fear was my family. My husband was my rock. My girls were amazing with the way they handled remote school. The pirouettes and jetés of competition dance were on pause. The soccer field was empty. Girl Scouts met remotely. Life slowed down. 

We took advantage of not constantly running around and I thoroughly enjoyed our downtime. We played games, went for hikes, watched movies, did puzzles, and made lots and lots of art. We had birthday “parties” in parking lots and in the form of parades. As I kept telling the kids—we made the best of a bad situation.

Fast forward nearly three years and it may sound cliché, but we are now living our new normal. A new normal that includes COVID vaccines and boosters—and questions like: “Should I wear a mask in Target?” “Is it a cold or COVID?” “Did you hear about the new variant?” But life is also back to its hectic pre-pandemic pace. Most kids are in school without masks. Their schedules and activities are in overdrive, and we find ourselves trying to fit it all in once again. 

Despite the return to as close to normal as we can get, things will never be the same. Family dinners are missing loved ones. People are facing long-term health effects. How we think about and do things are different. Some of us have changed jobs (for the better!) after the pandemic put our work-life balance into perspective.

No matter what your pandemic story is, we know you have one. And we know you still have questions. We’ve packaged together information to help you navigate this still-chaotic world and hopefully learn something in the process. 

In our guide, we include articles on how COVID can affect your pregnancy and breastfeeding. When it comes to your children, we break down how the latest strains can affect them and whether they can get reinfected. Plus, how you can protect your children in school. The impact of the pandemic cannot be understated and we also discuss mental health, sleep issues, weight gain, and the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Wishing you good health and happiness.

Sincerely,

Sari Roth Hitchins

News Editor, Verywell Family