Labor of Love: Stories of Vaccines, Variants, and Parenting during COVID

Ankita Rao was initially hesitant to get vaccinated while pregnant early in the pandemic. Ankita is the Editor at the Guardian US and discusses her experience of gathering credible information and guidance surrounding vaccination while pregnant. Ankita also shares misinformation she hears as a reporter within online communities around vaccination.

Show Notes

Ankita Rao was initially hesitant to get vaccinated while pregnant early in the pandemic. Ankita is the Editor at the Guardian US and discusses her experience of gathering credible information and guidance surrounding vaccination while pregnant. Ankita also shares misinformation she hears as a reporter within online communities around vaccination. We will then hear from Dr. Diana Ramos, Adjunct Associate Professor for Obstetrics and Gynecology at Keck USC School of Medicine, about debunking common myths regarding maternal health and COVID-19.  

For more information visit ACOG.org/laboroflove

Please find other COVID-19 resources here from ACOG and the CDC:

ACOG | COVID-19
ACOG | Women's Health COVID-19
CDC | Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People

What is Labor of Love: Stories of Vaccines, Variants, and Parenting during COVID?

Becoming a parent is beautiful journey, but one that can also be full of uncertainty and stress. Add to that navigating a pandemic through pregnancy, birth and your little one’s first years, and the anxiety can be overwhelming. After all, it’s not just your health you have to be concerned about anymore.

That’s why Dr. Veronica Pimentel – a practicing OB-GYN, pandemic mom, and fierce vaccine proponent – is here to discuss the facts about COVID, vaccines, and motherhood. In Labor of Love, Dr. Pimentel works to alleviate the concerns of new parents who have questions about how COVID and the vaccines may impact pregnancy. In each episode, she’ll talk with real moms who share their stories about experiencing motherhood in the time of COVID, and follow up with maternal health experts who share accurate information so listeners are equipped to make the best choices for themselves and their families.

This podcast (“Resource”) is designed for patients and is for informational purposes only; it does not provide medical advice and it is not intended to replace the advice or counsel of a physician or health care professional. While ACOG makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information, this Resource is provided “as is” without any warranty of accuracy, reliability, or otherwise, either express or implied. ACOG does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the products or services of any firm, organization, or person. Neither ACOG nor its officers, directors, members, employees, or agents will be liable for any loss, damage, or claim with respect to any liabilities, including direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages, incurred in connection with this Resource or reliance on the information presented. Please visit acog.org/laboroflove for more information, including the full disclaimer.

This Resource was supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of a financial assistance award totaling $300,000 with 100 percent funded by ACOG and CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (00:04):
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of myths have been circulating around maternal health, COVID infections and vaccinations. These myths have left new moms asking, "Can my baby receive natural immunity from COVID-19? Or can the vaccines impact my pregnancy?" With social media today it's easy to access all kinds of information. The problem is, it's difficult to identify when information is actually false or misleading. The danger then becomes that these myths start to spread as facts, even when there is no evidence to back up such claims. This is Labor of Love. Ankita Rao is a new mom who became pregnant with her first child, just as the vaccines were rolling out. With all the myths circulating and the lack of [inaudible 00:00:55] guidance in the early stages of the vaccine release, Ankita had a really tough time making a decision. I recently sat down with Ankita to hear her story.
Our first guest today is Ankita Rao, the editor of the Guardian US. She's also a new mom, she's based in Washington DC. She's joining us to share her story as a pregnant woman who made the decision to get vaccinated early on. As a reporter, she has spoken to many pregnant women also facing this tough decision and she can shed some light on this experience. She's newly back from maternity leave, so we're so happy that she's taking time out of her busy schedule as a new mom to join us today. Welcome, Ankita, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ankita Rao (01:46):
Hi, Vero. Thank you so much for the introduction. I am an editor, like you said. I've been reporting on health issues for many, many years, and I now have a completely new perspective on women's health since recently having my first child in November.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (02:04):
What is that perspective like? Can you share a little bit more about that?

Ankita Rao (02:08):
Sure. I mean, I think as someone who has observed and interviewed many OBGYNs and talked to a lot of, anything from health policy makers, to doctors in my life, I think going through the process of actually having a baby, going through the health system and going through the delivery process in a hospital, choosing that hospital, all of those things really opened a new world for me. When you see things that you've heard about, when you see it firsthand, it really changes the way you connect with people and the experiences that they've shared. So I think that's been really interesting, both as a human and as a journalist.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (02:50):
That makes complete sense. It definitely changed my perspective as a patient, because I was always a doctor, and then I had to be a patient and a patient during the pandemic, something that the two of us have in common. And one of those tough decisions that you had to make was the decision to get vaccinated. I read your article, which is entitled, I Took the COVID Vaccine While Pregnant – Let’s Not Pretend it’s an Easy Decision. So talk to us about that. How did you come about making that decision? And why was it not easy for you, in particular?

Ankita Rao (03:22):
When I first found out I was pregnant, it was February of 2021, and so this was very early on in the vaccination process in terms of who was allowed to take the vaccine. It had just come out in December, and so far only health workers had taken it. And then they were just starting to offer it to immunocompromised people, and pregnant people were on the list of people that were potentially more at risk of COVID complications. So I was in New York and there was no real information out there on pregnant women and vaccines at that point, the only thing we knew was that in the studies that they had done on the vaccine, there were women who didn't know they were pregnant yet who had taken it and they were fine, but there were obviously very little literature at that moment on what actually happens when you're pregnant and you take the vaccine.
So I was pretty freaked out, but I was also freaked out by COVID. And despite the lack of peer reviewed articles there were for people like me, I had seen firsthand in New York City, how many people had gotten very, very sick and how many people had died. And so I spent some days really reading as much as there was to read, talking to all my friends who were physicians and talking to my husband who was a physician and a public health policy person. And I had him break down what went into this vaccine, how does it affect your body? And then I made the decision to take it.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (05:01):
You were in some ways lucky that you are surrounded by all these incredible people that have a lot of knowledge regarding science, but at the same time, you were at the epicenter of the COVID pandemic during that time, which was New York City, which I imagine was very scary. And at that point in time we had limited information, we have a lot more now, thankfully, and all the information that we have right now shows that the vaccine is safe and we do recommend it in pregnancy. There's still a lot of myths out there, and I know that during your reporting, you have talked to many people and addressed these myths. Can you tell us a little bit more about that, about your work and the myths that you've come across?

Ankita Rao (05:42):
Yeah. When I went about reporting this piece, I was expecting... I mean, I knew there was misinformation, but I don't think I was expecting to hear what I heard. I didn't experience it while I was pregnant, but I experience it now is how much misinformation there is on Instagram. Instagram is... When you're pregnant and when you're having a baby, your entire feed fills up with influencer moms and influencer pregnant people, and baby raising sleep tips and feeding tips and this and that. It is a wild west, and there is so much misinformation, I can't... And it's so emotionally presented, because it's all through real women and things like that. I don't think there's been anything to me that's been as stressful as seeing what people are promoting on Instagram to new mothers.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (06:37):
That's good to know, because I think for us who are physicians or providers who are educating our patients or counseling our patients, having this discussion with our patients, it's good for us to know what they're seeing out there so we can address them. That's certainly why I am using social media, that's a big reason why I am in social media so I can see those things and be able to talk to my patients about them if they want to discuss them. Having spent the time to talk to many women, many pregnant people who are going through all of this decision making process during a time where we didn't have as good data as we have right now, did that impact your decision to get vaccinated in any way?

Ankita Rao (07:20):
So luckily I got vaccinated before I reported this piece, because... I mean, I probably still would have gotten vaccinated because eventually I felt comfortable with that decision. But I did know people who told me not to, and I did know other people who weren't sure. And my own doctors at that point, I think that ACOG and others had come out with some soft guidelines, not their full statements yet, but they were promoting the vaccine at that point. And so my own doctor was sort of like, "It's your choice, but it's probably a good idea." I imagine if that was one year later, they would be much more, "You should definitely get this because now we know just how dangerous it is not to get it." I think that I was very vulnerable to what I was hearing, and if I had heard more doubt and if I had heard more confusion maybe it would've made me delay a little bit when I got the vaccine, but I think I would've gotten it anyway.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (08:21):
That makes sense. And it's hard because at that point in time the information that we had was a little bit limited, but now we have a lot more information so I would expect that the counseling you would receive at this point in time would be significantly different from what you received at that point in time, now we'd be recommending it as opposed to that soft discussion that perhaps you had with your doctor at that moment. How do you now navigate conversations with other expectant parents, other moms, or other people who are contemplating getting pregnant who are facing incorrect information still, perhaps from social media, for example?

Ankita Rao (09:03):
Yeah, I've gotten a lot of questions from people I know, some who read the article, some who just knew that I had taken the vaccine while pregnant. And people have asked me many times, "What should I do? I'm feeling really anxious about this. What if this happens? I read this thing." And there's no basis for most of the stuff that they show me. Like, they'll show me some unvetted piece of information. Or for a long time there was this strange misinformation campaign where someone had screenshotted part of a research article to show miscarriage rates with the COVID vaccine. But there was no context with it, so if you had context and if people had looked closer, you would see that miscarriage rate was the same, if not lower than people who had never taken the vaccine.
But people were sharing things like that, so I think anytime someone's brought that up to me who's pregnant and nervous, I've just sort of talked them through it and said, "Look, this is what's going on with that piece of information." Or I just share my story because I think people feel safer when they know, "Okay, she did that, and she obviously cares about her baby." But for the most part, what I've heard is not just people who are nervous about taking the vaccine, but I think a lot of people are nervous about when to take it. And they're like, "Could this affect my baby's neurological development?" Or something like that. And I think that just explaining how the mRNA vaccine works and that it's not a live vaccine and that kind of thing really has resonated with people.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (10:42):
No, absolutely. And I would think that you being a reporter, hopefully you are able to explain to people how to differentiate solid information, trustworthy information from non-trustworthy information, misinformation from good information. We try to do that as physicians, but I think you come in with a certain credibility because of the work that you do and hopefully people are listening to you because of your credential and your experience as well.

Ankita Rao (11:09):
I mean, I really hope they're listening more to their doctor than to me about any sort of health information. I definitely try my best to promote real science and the information I have, but I think with the caveat that there's always space for patient's stories and patient's fears. And if people are experiencing things that their doctor hasn't validated or recognized yet, I try to make sure I listen to that too.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (11:36):
That's where the humanity comes from, right? And I think that's why people identify with these stories because you want to know, patients want to know, would you take that vaccine? If you were pregnant, would you take it? If you're breastfeeding, would you take it? And when they find out that you would've taken it or you did take it, it is a powerful message. And that's why I share my personal story with my patients to let them know that I'm not going to recommend something to them that I would not recommend to myself or give to myself. So stories are powerful for sure. I'm wondering if you have had any actual face to face difficult conversations with friends, neighbors, family members, people that you actually care about, about getting vaccinated specifically?

Ankita Rao (12:19):
There's definitely skeptics in my life, right? There's definitely people who didn't take the vaccine themselves who are friends or family members. My family, the ones who knew that I was pregnant, they were nervous for me because it was new. They were like, "Are you sure? Are you sure? What do you know, have you talked to your doctor?" I think there was that anxiety, but nobody was going to tell me, don't do this. And in terms of the people who I know who are not vaccinated, I actually recently went to a gathering where somebody was not vaccinated because she is going through fertility issues. And I didn't talk to her about it, someone just told me, I didn't know her, but I was so stressed out just being in the room with her, because I wanted to be like, "Please, talk to some more people, this is not real." But it wasn't my place. But yeah, I haven't had any angry confrontations, but I know a lot of people were nervous about it.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (13:20):
Well, it sounds like from your family that sort of anxiety was coming from a place of love, of trying to protect you, which is something that I completely understand. But it sounds like they also trusted you and trusted your judgment, which is also very important. I don't know if you feel comfortable talking about this or not, but right now are you providing your baby with breast milk? And how do you feel about that, being vaccinated?

Ankita Rao (13:47):
Yeah. So not only am I doing that, but I also got my booster while I started breastfeeding. And during that time I revisited the information, and said, "Let me make sure it's safe to get this booster while I'm breastfeeding." And I determined that it was, and I've continued to feel good about that decision. If anything, I've only read good things. I've read that it's a better way to support your baby's immune system with more antibodies and more things that can be passed through breast milk. So I feel good about that. But again, it's another point of, should I, shouldn't I do this, back in November. And I obviously decided to do it, but yet another decision in the millions of decisions you have to make when you're pregnant.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (14:37):
Absolutely. But we make these decisions on a day to day basis without sometimes even so much thinking about them, they become almost automatic. But when it comes to the vaccine, because of all the pressure that exists, then sometimes we freeze, at least for a brief second. And I think that's a common story that I hear from friends and from patients, so you're not unique on that, we all stop to make sure that we are doing the right thing for ourselves and for our families. What would you want other women to know about getting vaccinated?

Ankita Rao (15:10):
At this stage I feel like the evidence is very clear that you are at a much higher risk by not getting vaccinated than you are when you get vaccinated. And this is a decision that you have to make with your family and with your physician, but there's very little room for doubt, I think, at this point. And the other thing that I like to think about is, we obviously paid way more attention to the way the COVID vaccine was made than any other vaccine in our lives because we were there when it was being made and we all watched it carefully. But when you look back at how vaccines were made in the past, there was actually about the same amount of information when they were made too. Like our measles vaccines that we don't even bat an eye and we take these, a flu shot, all of these vaccines.
There's a substantial amount of evidence around the COVID vaccine, and it's very similar to some of these other vaccines, even if they are around longer. And so I like to think about that too, is just because it was fast doesn't mean that it was scrappily done, or that the science wasn't solid. And if we go back and look at some of the other things we take, we pretty much know the same amount about those and we still take them and it's a really good population level intervention. So I think those are things that help me sort of balance out the emotional side and the personal side and some of the fears that come from carrying a baby that you're responsible for.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (16:44):
Makes complete sense. At the end of the day, I think the decision to get vaccinated becomes an act of love and an act of trust for science. So I want to thank you so much for taking the time to come and talk to us. I know how challenging it could be to be postpartum, to just return to work after maternity leave and to take the time to come and share your story, but you have a lot of credentials, you have a lot of understanding, not only as a mom, but also as a reporter who talks about health issues. So I appreciate you taking the time, thank you again.

Ankita Rao (17:20):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (17:28):
Parents typically want to do what's best to protect themselves and their children. So when one myth claims the best thing to do for your family is not to get vaccinated, while the evidence shows that the best thing you can do to protect your family is to get vaccinated, it can make a lot of new moms feel really stuck. We want to shed some light on the most common myths we hear when it comes to COVID-19 and the impact of COVID vaccines on maternal health. So we sat down with an expert who has examined this topic so that you can move on forward with a more informed decision.
Our second guest for today's episode is Dr. Diana Ramos. Dr. Ramos is a public health leader, a practicing physician, and an adjunct associate professor at the Keck University of Southern California, School of Medicine. Her areas of expertise include health disparities, social determinants of health, preconception health, preterm birth, contraception and quality improvement in health. Dr. Ramos is here today as a health expert to discuss evidence-based information around COVID-19 vaccination and maternal health. On a personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ramos recently during a leadership conference. Thank you, Dr. Ramos for being here with us today.

Dr. Diana Ramos (18:47):
Dr. Pimentel, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (18:50):
The pleasure is mine, Dr. Ramos. Our last guest, Ankita, tells us how at the time when she was pregnant, vaccines were just rolling out and there wasn't a lot of data to support her decision to get vaccinated. What can you tell us now about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and how has the information changed recently?

Dr. Diana Ramos (19:11):
Well, the great news is that we have a lot more information now on the safety of the COVID vaccines. And that is really important, especially more information on women using the vaccine while they're pregnant and breastfeeding. And the reason is that more women are getting vaccinated, so we're collecting all of the information, the data, and we're actually seeing that the vaccines are working in keeping women out of the ICU, keeping women healthier when they are obtaining the COVID infection. So really important. The information as time goes on is accumulating, and we're really reinforcing the fact that the best thing a pregnant mom can do is to get the vaccine to help protect not only herself, but the health of her baby as well.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (20:07):
Excellent, so what I'm hearing from you is that all the information we're getting is reassuring and all in the positive direction?

Dr. Diana Ramos (20:14):
Absolutely. And there was a recent publication of a study from the CDC that highlighted that the antibodies that a mom has after having the COVID vaccine actually helps protect not only her, but it crosses to help protect the infant. So again, the more time passes, the more data, the more reassurance that the vaccine is safe, and we're basing that now on the data and the evidence.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (20:41):
Excellent. There's also some data about whether or not the vaccine causes any problems to the baby, can you speak about that?

Dr. Diana Ramos (20:49):
Well, the vaccine actually helps. We've got to focus on what the vaccine does and what we know the vaccine helps prevent. And that is, it helps prevent a mom from being hospitalized, from being in the ICU and oftentimes, those are some of the risk factors that lead to preterm birth. And we know that preterm birth can cause complications for a baby, not only immediately at the time of delivery, depending upon their gestational age, so if a baby is born very early on in pregnancy, they're going to be in the ICU being cared for, for a longer period of time, versus maybe another baby that is closer to term. So what we do know is that the vaccine helps prevent moms from really getting sick, being in the ICU and ending up with complications. Overall, right now, what we're seeing is that the vaccine helps the babies because of the fact that the antibodies cross from the mom into the baby. And we have to remember that babies cannot get the COVID vaccine, so this is one way that our moms can help protect their babies.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (22:01):
Excellent point, Dr. Ramos. And I think on top of that, there's some recent data that shows that babies who are born of moms who have been vaccinated are not at increased risk of being born premature or small for gestational age, which can happen if the mom was to get the COVID infection. So this data is very, very reassuring. Have you noticed any new concerns from the patients since the pandemic started?

Dr. Diana Ramos (22:27):
Dr. Pimentel, I think the concern has been with, what do I do to keep myself safe, my family safe and my baby safe. And as time goes on, we're getting more information, more data so that we can really make those evidence-based recommendations to our patients and for their families. I think the COVID era has brought up the importance of public health and of educating not only our communities and healthcare providers, but patients on what they can do to care for themselves. So we now know the importance of vaccines, even more so. We now know the importance of just basic public health hygiene, which is washing your hands, social distancing, and at the height, depending upon where you are, using a mask. So yes, a lot of great things have come up as a result of COVID. And I think it just highlights the fact that patients are asking more questions and wanting to take control of their health, which is a wonderful opportunity for us as healthcare providers to empower our patients and educate them to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (23:48):
In talking about safety and patients asking questions, there are also some myths and misconceptions about the vaccine and about COVID. So I'm wondering what are the common myths and misconceptions you've heard from patients regarding the vaccine, and which myths you think are especially dangerous for patients to be aware of?

Dr. Diana Ramos (24:09):
This is where, again, information is critical. And for many of my patients, they would come in with a list of things that they read on social media, and not always from the most reliable source. So I would have a conversation with them and just review what they read and provide them with the accurate information. Many times it's providing the right information from the right source that gives patients peace of mind. So it's just addressing the fears and the information that people hear and providing the right information, and then putting the right information into perspective for that patient's health. And by that, I mean, for those patients who maybe have chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, maybe they're the ones that really need to put the perspective of the correct information with their own health situation, and then provide them with the information so they can make the best decision for themselves. But misinformation is very dangerous.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (25:24):
So Dr. Ramos, in my experience, when patients come in and they talk about misinformation it's because they've heard it somewhere and they're really try to do the right thing, as you have alluded to. So how do you go about calming your patient's fears if they're nervous due to the misconceptions that they've heard of the vaccine?

Dr. Diana Ramos (25:45):
Yes, in calming people's fears, in general, it's really important, I have found, to listen to the patient. So what is really, like you said, the underlying situation, what is the underlying fear, and just listening and going from where they are and meeting them where they are and answering the information. Because many times, that fear, the misinformation is a bridge to really wanting for them to get the correct information. And as you know, for many cultures, and I can tell you personally, with the Latino population, once you share information with a patient, it doesn't stop with them, it actually trickles and it's like a little ripple effect that goes throughout the community, because I know she will share the information with her friends, with her family, with the neighbors. And that's the beauty about really providing the information for our patients, is that it really doesn't stop with them, it really perpetuates on many levels. And now with social media, many times patients are promoting the accurate information and they're sharing their stories of, "Wow, I was wrong. And this is the correct information and this is why I got vaccinated."

Dr. Vero Pimentel (27:08):
That's very important. I think you're also talking about this idea of cultural humility and trying to figure out where the patient is coming from, referring to, in this example, the Latina patient coming into the clinic, very, very important to know where they're coming from and to meet them there. And now going back to our first guest, Ankita, she talked about how some people in her circle told her that she shouldn't get the vaccine while others were recommending it to her. In your experience, do you find that patients are more likely to listen to friends and family over their doctors? And how do you counsel women who are resistant to getting vaccinated, especially if they've been influenced by common myths in pregnancy or by someone that they trust in their circle of friends and family?

Dr. Diana Ramos (27:59):
That is a really good question, and not always an easy one to address. But I can tell you when someone comes in, like Ankita, talking about that circle not being supportive of her, again, I just try to understand what are the points that her circle is bringing up, what is it specifically? And then I answer and provide the information, but then more importantly, I actually will bring in the patient's health. And whatever health issues there are, I'll make them aware, if you have high blood pressure, or if you have placenta previa, there's already complications present without having had even COVID. So we've got to to look at each individual patient as the person right in front of us and provide them the counseling and the information based upon their own personal health. And I have found that when I do that, patients make that personal decision that is best for them.
And many times, and I can tell you this has happened, patients will say, "Okay, give me the vaccine. I'm not going to tell my friends and family, but I want to do the right thing for my own health." And this just highlights the fact that health is very personal. And again, the one patient that may be doing the right thing for her health really could be the ambassador to the rest of that circle to say, "Look, nothing happened and I'm actually protected."
So it really is important for us to meet our patients where they are and to provide that information for them. The amount of misinformation depending upon the countless number of social media sites is incredible. So I'll have patients come in with a list of misinformation saying, "I got this from this website, or this social media post." And I encourage them to make sure that they're getting their information because I know once they leave my office, that's it, they're going to get more information. And so I try to direct them to sources of information that are accurate, and that will provide them information that they can use personally and share as well.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (30:31):
So where should pregnant women go to get the latest, most up to date and most credible information on COVID vaccination and COVID-19 in pregnancy?

Dr. Diana Ramos (30:41):
So I personally direct patients to the CDC, as well as to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist's website. And I remind patients that these are the organizations that are making the decisions, that are interpreting the data for all of the healthcare providers and public health organizations in the country. So if we, as healthcare providers and physicians, are going to these sites, I encourage them to go to the sites as well. And the great thing about it is that they have patient friendly information as well, so they can get information not only on COVID, but on other public health and personal health topics as well.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (31:25):
Absolutely. These have been great resources for patients and for us physicians who are taking care of patients and adjusting to all the new data that has been coming since the pandemic started. So great resources, the CDC website, as well as ACOG. Thank you for sharing those. Dr. Ramos, is there something that you would want all patients to know when they make the decision to get vaccinated?

Dr. Diana Ramos (31:50):
Yes, I think the most important thing to know is that they're protecting not only their health, but the health of their baby. And it's really important because you're making a critical decision to do the right thing to protect your health, and you're going to continue doing it when your baby is born. I really see motivated moms taking their babies at the two week, four week, six week... It seems like the first year of life is full of lots of newborn care and pediatric appointments, and I love it. And a lot of those appointments are based on vaccines because we want to protect our babies. So make sure that you're doing that while you're pregnant, because you're already starting to take care of your baby when you care for yourself if you're pregnant and you get vaccinated, and it doesn't stop there, continue with the vaccines and all of the well child visits that your baby needs.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (32:50):
Thank you so much, Dr. Ramos, for being here today with us to share your knowledge, your expertise, and your experience.

Dr. Diana Ramos (32:57):
It's been a pleasure, thank you so much for the opportunity.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (32:59):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Labor of Love. In our final episode, we are going to look ahead to discover how we move forward in this changing landscape of the pandemic, particularly how moms can care for their mental health in these trying times. We're going to hear from a mom who caught COVID while she was pregnant and unvaccinated, and how she and her family are moving forward after a terrifying experience.

Speaker 4 (33:32):
I thought I was going to die. They did have to drive down, and they were debating about taking me up to UCLA or driving down to me. And the fastest way possible was driving down to me, because I was in such critical condition that they had made the call to drive down to me as soon as possible, and hook me up on the ECMO machine, because it was life or death. To this day, we still are really struggling, both of us, with our mental health. And from those moments, I get flashbacks daily, and so does he, and it's very scary.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (34:03):
Then we'll talk with a provider and learn the best practices for staying safe and protecting your mental and postpartum health as the world continues to change.

Speaker 5 (34:12):
Before the pandemic, rates of postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety were around 15 to 20% in the general population for people who had babies, those numbers have almost tripled during the pandemic. I mean, there's even some studies that have shown that for moms who are either pregnant or in that first year postpartum, that rates are close to 70% for clinical anxiety levels.

Dr. Vero Pimentel (34:40):
Until then, if you know a pregnant mom who's not sure about getting vaccinated or not, share this podcast with them, and rate and review this podcast wherever you are listening. To learn more about these recommendations and for additional resources, visit the ACOG website at a ACOG.org/COVID19, or the CDCs website at CDC.gov/COVID19. This is Dr. Vero Pimentel, your fellow mom, OBGYN physician, and host of Labor of Love. You can find me on Twitter @DrVeroPimentel or on Instagram @DrVero4Moms. Thank you.