Having a Baby during Covid

12 parent questions ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • Parents of newborns- how are you handling visitors during Covid?

    – Jun 20, 2021
    (8 replies)

    We have a two month old, and we are navigating having visitors over. All of our adult family members are vaccinated, but we do have young nieces and nephews who cannot be vaccinated yet. Understandably, both adults and kids want to see and hold the baby, but we have continued to be pretty cautious even with the adults. We are wondering how other parents of newborns are handling this issue both with the vaccinated adults and the unvaccinated kids? Do you have different rules for indoors and outdoors? And is there a source where have you been getting your guidance on this issue?

    Jun 20, 2021

    So I don't have a newborn yet, but will in October. Our plan is only vaccinated persons can hold baby. Any unvaccinated person must keep their distance and wear a mask around baby. I do not plan to have unvaccinated people go unmasked around baby even if we are outdoors. It feels too risky to me. I don't have any specific sources  to cite, but I've just been following the CDC and taking a more cautious approach. If you have Instagram, I highly recommend checking out @pedsdoctalk she is a pediatrician who discusses COVID a lot and is also super practical about the reality of everyday life. I also like @kinggutterbaby she is an infectious disease specialist who has been working with COVID closely, she hosts really approachable Q&A sessions about COVID on her page and breaks down all the new research. Finally, there is a FB group called Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support for Bay Area Families, its a really respectful group to ask questions and people only share valid research articles there. Hope that helps! Congrats on the new baby!

    I found this write-up in the NYT super helpful about how low risk kids are (even infants!). 

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/18/briefing/kids-covid-and-delta.html

    However, if you are still going to be cautious, I'd recommend doing an outdoor thing.  NYT also had a great write-up of how it's pretty much impossible for Covid to spread outdoors:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/11/briefing/outdoor-covid-transmission-c...

    Also, I always made sure people didn't even have the sniffles when coming over and of course, everyone washes hands! :-)

    My daughter is 8.5 months old, so we had to navigate the newborn phase in a totally unvaccinated state. We were very strict. Post vaccine—must be vaccinated to hold. Pre-vaccine: must quarantine for 2 weeks.
    Inside only with one other household. Outside with no more than 5 households. We’ve been very strict about other people holding her—only grandparents if other family are there. It’s hard, but even vaccinated people can transmit and it’s just not a risk we want to take. We spend a lot of time weighing the benefits and risk. At the moment, we’re in a pandemic window, so we’ve been a little looser. But with the delta variant on the rise, we’re preparing to reign it in again. 

    We have a two month old as well, we’ve only let limited vaccinated close adult friends and family hold him both indoors and out, and have been able to avoid taking him inside places with multiple unmasked strangers (grocery stores etc) so far. We have had play dates inside with families with toddlers but not with any families with toddlers in daycare (so all limited germ exposure situations). After he gets his two month shots next week we will likely loosen up, we were more concerned about his immune system pre-two month vaccinations versus COVID specially.
    We haven’t found a great resource for COVID guidelines with infants, if anyone has one to share we’d be very curious especially since we’ll be starting daycare in two months. 

    I'm 38 weeks pregnant so we don't have a newborn just yet. We're both fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, but about 6 weeks ago my sister, cousin, aunt and uncle all got Covid despite being fully vaccinated (including 2 week wait post last shot) after attending an indoors unmasked dinner party together. As a result we're now we're being extra extra cautious, especially because my sister is still recovering 5 weeks later (main symptom as this point is fatigue). Having a newborn and recovering from Covid at the same time sounds absolutely terrible, so much of our precaution is to protect me and my husband as much as it is to protect the baby.

    Our current thinking is:

    • Socialize in well-ventilated outdoor areas whenever possible. Let friends and family (probably including unvaccinated kids, but this is a bit TBD) hold the baby, but as an extra precaution ask them to wear a mask. As detailed in this NYT article from May 11, there is basically no evidence of Covid spreading outdoors (so a mask is probably a little overkill), BUT this data is of course all retrospective, and we want to be extra cautious given the new, more transmissible Delta variant.

    • Allow a select few vaccinated adults to be inside our house unmasked. Probably this will just be my parents, sister and her husband, and one other set of close friends who we really trust (and who are always wearing N95 masks when indoors, and not allowing others in their house without an N95 mask).

    • If other friends need to come inside our house (e.g. to use the bathroom) ask them to wear an N95 mask.

    Not sure if you've come across the writing of Emily Oster, but would highly recommend her newsletter (https://emilyoster.substack.com/) if you want a very data-driven, evidence-based way analysis of how to think about Covid risk with infants and kids.

    Good luck!

    If you got vaccinated while pregnant the data is very good that the baby will carry antibodies. That is my situation and I don’t stress about anyone interacting with the baby indoors or outdoor. My baby is 3 months. That said pretty much any adults that have held the baby are vaccinated and it’s rare in these covid times for a non family member to make any attempt to physically interact with the baby. My baby does have an unvaccinated older sister in childcare and that is probably her biggest potential exposure source. But as I said, I don’t stress since I got vaxxed in my third trimester. And I wouldn’t stress much if I hadn’t because kids don’t transmit the virus easily, delta variant notwithstanding. I worry more about my 3 year old but take comfort in minimal adverse effects to her age group. 

    Following! We have a 4 month old and have been very cautious thus far. It feels prudent to treat her as unvaccinated eventhough I’m breastfeeding! So far we’ve only let family indoors/ hold her with a 5 day quarantine post travel and a negative covid test.  I feel ok about being around folks outside, and think I am almost ready to ease with vaccinated folks indoors who have not been exposed via travel or in groups which might consist of anyone unvaccinated, but feel really flummoxed by older young children who are in school or daycare. Would love to hear what other people are doing and thinking! 

    I have a 6 week old. We let both sets of vaccinated grandparents hold our newborn - they were visiting from out of state, we hadn't seen them in over a year and a half and probably won't see them again for at least a few months. All other visits have been outdoors unmasked with vaccinated individuals and no holding baby. 

    Honestly right now I'm more concerned about the other viruses going around and things that would be introduced from my toddler's interactions. I'd take that into account with your nieces and nephews. 

  • Second support person allowed in L&D?

    – Mar 2, 2021
    (2 replies)

    Hi! I heard from a local Facebook Doula group that Alta Bates will start allowing a second support person in the delivery room starting 3/2/21. Does anyone know if this is true? My Dr was not able to confirm. Thanks!

    Mar 2, 2021

    Hi, I happened to have an OB appointment yesterday and it IS true (for now - the OB said it's subject to change at any time as things evolve).  Here's what the OB shared with me (again, she warned me things could fluctuate):

    "At this time we are allowing 2 support people for our labor and delivery and post partum patients at Alta Bates. Both may be present at the same time, and both must be adults. The 2 designated support people must remain the same for the entire stay. The following rules apply to all visitors: 

    1. All visitors should wear a Sutter-provided procedure mask (personal cloth/other masks are not allowed) once inside the facility and for the duration of the visit including in the patient's room.
    2. Visitors must remain inside patient rooms.
    3. Visitors are asked to limit comings and goings to the hospital to twice in a 24 hour time period
    4. A visitor may be asked at certain times to step out of the room if deemed necessary by the doctor or primary nurse.  In these instances, the visitor will be directed to wait in a designated waiting area.
    5. The cafeterias will NOT be open to visitors, so please be sure to bring food. A cooler can be helpful for your room. Whole Foods is easily accessible on Telegraph and Ashby if you need to re stock. You can also order food to be delivered. Patients will continue to provided regular meals at the hospital."

    FYI to others reading, this is now true for Kaiser. 

  • Ultrasound clinics that allow partners - know of any?

    – Feb 1, 2021
    (3 replies)

    Is anyone aware of any ultrasounds clinics in the East Bay (or even in the entire Bay Area) that are currently allowing partners at appointments? We are due for our 20 week ultrasound in a few weeks and would love to find a clinic that would allow both of us to attend.

    Thanks in advance for any tips!

    Feb 1, 2021

    I had all my ultrasounds done at the Sutter lab on Telegraph and they allowed my partner to come. 

    I was using private ultrasound clinics and the charge was about $50.00. They were fine with partners coming in. Those aren’t diagnostic ultrasounds and are really for you to just see the kid

    UCSF was allowing partners for fetal diagnostics but as of 1/8, however, they stopped allowing them to come so depending on when you need to go, they said it might change in a few weeks but weren't sure. 

  • Birth prep/newborn care classes during covid?

    – Dec 13, 2020
    (1 reply)

    We're due with our first child in April and though I've heard great things about birth prep classes for Natural Resources and Then Comes Baby from pre-covid times, I haven't seen much feedback about how well those classes have adjusted to online instruction. Anyone have any insight? We're hoping to find classes that do their best to replicate the personal connections of an in-person class (as much as is feasible and realistic these days). Thanks in advance! 

    Dec 13, 2020

    Hi Sbutton! And congratulations! I’m due at the end of February and we are starting virtual childbirth classes next month with Anna Hurty <https://birthgarden.com/childbirth-preparation>. Had a long phone conversation and got a good feeling that we would get the care and community we are longing for. 
     

    I’ve also hear great things about Loving Arms <https://www.lovingarmschildbirthservices.com/register/>. 
     

    Good luck! 

  • Partners/Doulas/Midwives allowed at Hospital Births in East Bay?

    – Dec 8, 2020
    (2 replies)

    I have multiple questions about prenatal and birth visitors/visitation in the East Bay:

    -Are any obstetrics (OBGYN) offices in the east bay allowing partners in for appointments at this time?

    -Are any hospitals allowing Doulas and/or Midwives to the birth at this time?  Any clarification for what will happen next summer (July 2021)?

    Thanks for sharing your experiences in advance! 

    Dec 8, 2020

    Congratulations on expecting! What the hospitals allow will totally depend on how the pandemic is doing and whether there is a surge at that given moment. Currently, and by that I mean today...cause it can change anytime...at hospitals like Kaiser, you’re allowed 1 support person and a doula only if it has been prearranged, meaning they have been identified and documented by your doctor in your chart during prenatal care. Once you’re delivered, the doula will need to leave prior to transferring to the postpartum unit. Good luck!

    Hi there, I got pregnant in June and my partner has not been allowed to come to any OB appointments.  He was able to go to my ultrasound at Sutter (Prenatal Diagnosis Center at 5730 Telegraph), but he won't be able to join my next one because due to the rise in COVID cases, only patients are allowed in the building.

    It seems like a fluid situation, I don't think anyone knows what the regulations will be in July.  Hopefully things will be better by then.  When I had my first OB visit, I was told I could bring one support person to the hospital with me (I'm planning to deliver at Alta Bates).  Then in the mid-October when COVID cases were low, Alta Bates started allowing two support people and I hired a doula.  Unfortunately now that cases have spiked, it's back to one support person only.  So if the situation stays the same til I deliver, I can either have my husband or the doula accompany me (and I kinda feel like the doula would be more helpful, but we haven't decided yet and are just hoping cases do go down and we don't have to choose).  Since it looks like things can go back and forth, I would try not to worry about it (I know, easier said than done) and maybe hold off on hiring a doula until a little close to your due date.

  • Recent Experiences at Kaiser Oakland L&D?

    – Aug 15, 2020
    (4 replies)

    Hi,

    I am due in late September and likely will be having a C-section. I’m wondering if anybody has given birth at Kaiser Oakland recently (past couple months) and would be willing to share what the experience was like given Covid. I’m concerned about catching Covid at the hospital (though my OB has assured me she feels safer there than at the supermarket!) and the many new Covid-related policies (e.g., my husband will have to stay with me the whole time, no in-and-out privileges).

    I’d be so grateful for any firsthand knowledge or experiences! Thanks!

    Aug 15, 2020

    Just gave birth at Kaiser Oakland last week. Previous birth experience was with Kaiser San Jose.

    Giving birth was great- respectful nurses and MD's. I had a 2nd year resident who was great. I did not wear a mask although husband did. Lots of respectful bonding time with baby. Super respectful of our birth plan wishes.

    Post partum was not great. I gave birth on the evening and by the time I transferred to a room had missed dinner. Nurse totally gave me a weird look when I asked about how to order food and I explained I hadn't had lunch or dinner because I was delivering baby. I got a lean cuisine microwave dinner and husband got a sandwich. Food ordering system sucked, was difficult to use TV remote system and food was not very good. I hope you don't have allergies because they don't list ingredients.

    Big joke- my nurse wrote goals down for me. They were 1) get rest 2) breast feed every 2-3 hours. I understand the importance of frequent breastfeeding. This is my 4th breastfed baby. Still, what a joke! Who can rest and recover when the nurse comes in every 2-3 hours, turns on some lights, quizzes you on when you last fed, messes with the baby etc.

    Because it is a teaching hospital we had SO MANY PEOPLE coming into the room. The med student pediatrician, the resident MD to look at baby's eyes, hearing tech, nurse to educate you on your post partum care, lactation consultant, lab person plus the RN covering or helping your RN, and EVERYONE wanted to do something to the baby. In Covid times it made me pretty nervous. Plus hand hygiene was all over the place.

    They were disorganized- we asked to go home next morning and were very clear on this. Somehow they messed up and at some point thought we were staying and stopped the check out process. We had to eventually send husband out to bug them for the last bits to get out of there. Finally escaped at 3:30.

    If you are leas familiar with Kaiser Oakland take a second to figure out parking. Parking is a Big Deal there and at some point your support person will need to move the car to the garage. Always make sure you have proper signs or tickets displayed or your car can get towed.

    Good Luck!

    Hi!

    i gave birth to my daughter end of April this year at kaiser Oakland, and like you, I was deeply concerned and scared of what to expect and of catching Covid. 
    I am happy to say that I could not have been happier with our experience.

    i felt the staff to be calm, well organized and reassuring during our whole time there. My birth plan was still read and honored. My husband was with me every minute from arrival to departure with no issue. He was allowed to go move the car, but just in case we came prepared with plenty of snacks, Gatorade for electrolytes and extra clothes just in case we had to stay longer than expected ( we didn’t)

     Everyone was Well protected And followed procedure well before handling my daughter each time. Ie: extra hand washing, sanitizer, gloves and mouths/ noses covered. I still received wonderful care.
    I did notice that The nurses and doctors come in the room less regularly than before ( I gave birth there to my son 2018) but they got us all out as quickly as they could without us feeling rushed - we were eager to leave of course. 
    work they used to do outside the room prior with the baby ie: hearing test, and birth certificate forms are now all done in the room to minimize contact all around. 
    In all, I felt very safe. Well taken care of and less afraid than I had been before I went in. 
    sometimes anticipation can be the worst part of it all. 
    I hope this helps to reassure you and that you a wonderful birth experience. 
     

    with blessings and light,

    nadya

    I delivered at KP Oakland via csection at the end of July. The operating team was excellent- I’d be happy got connect with you directly if you’d like. We were worried about covid too, and left the hospital just after 48 hrs to mitigate our risk. Everyone in the postpartum unit wore masks regularly in our room, so I felt the support we received outweighed the risk. My husband was able to sleep in our room and order food for delivery. I hope this is helpful.

    Hi- I delivered in May at Kaiser Oakland. They were organized, friendly and it felt safe. Everyone wore a mask and I had to also (which added some complications with getting o2 during labor and delivery so pick your mask wisely). There were less residents in and out of the room than when I delivered previously. I don’t think it could have gone any better given the pandemic. I also found them much more organized and kind this time around. I was told my partner couldn’t leave also. They ended up having to leave to take care of our other child and I stayed with the new baby for the night. I didn’t get covid. Bring a extra masks so you can find them when people come into the room.

  • Alta Bates birth during Covid19

    – May 12, 2020
    (10 replies)

    Hi, wondering if anyone here has given birth at Alta Bates during Covid19 times and would be willing to share what it was like? We're due in a few weeks and have all kinds of questions, like if we'll be allowed to leave the room at all, if a mask will be required during labor, how my partner will get food, etc etc. 
    Thanks so much! 

    May 12, 2020

    Hi! I gave birth on April 6 (admitted the 5th and discharged the 8th) and this was my experience.  When we entered they took our temperature and gave us masks. We were asked to stay in our room the whole time with masks on. All nurses and doctors also had masks. During labor I seem to remember wearing a mask. Haha. During recovery we had a whole room to ourselves so my partner was able to sleep on a hospital bed. Again, we were confined the the room. I didn’t wear a mask then because I wanted baby to see my face but I did put one on when folks came in. I think there is one opportunity o leave per day but my husband never left. We brought food and a hot water heater. He did go to the cafeteria one say but that didn’t count as exiting. Also? The parking garage has a three day pass but check to see if Berkeley is actually ticketing because you may just be able to park on the street.  Hope this helps.  Good luck! 

    Hi, I gave birth at Alta Bates about 3 weeks ago. At the time, we had our temperature checked when entering the hospital, but I think they're now having laboring patients tested for covid-19 upon being admitted as well. I was told we were supposed to wear masks during labor, but I ended up taking mine off at some point (my husband kept his on the whole time). Now with testing, I think you don't have to wear a mask during delivery if you test negative. We both wore our masks in postpartum every time someone came into our room. 

    I was told we weren't allowed to leave the room – both during labor and in postpartum. My husband did leave a couple of times to go to whole foods and pick up food delivery. He wasn't given food by the hospital, but I've heard that they'll give partners food if you ask such as basic sandwiches and snacks. 

    Despite covid-19 times, my experience at Alta Bates was really positive. The staff/nurses were amazing and so helpful. 

    I'm scheduled for a c-section tomorrow morning, and can let you know about my experience once we get back. I know that currently Alta Bates only allows one support person and they have in/out privileges (I think) twice a day.  The same support person is designated throughout the hospital stay.  They are testing all pregnant women for COVID.  Not sure about masks.

    I'm a NICU nurse at a different hospital in the same network, and I may be able to give a little insight.  Before I went out on leave, our hospital allowed one support person in the hospital.  The support person could only leave and come back once per day.  I believe they made all laboring women and visitors wear masks, but at that time we weren't testing anyone who was asymptomatic.   Our cafeteria was open, and you had to meet your food delivery driver outside the hospital.  

    I'll try to remember to check back and update, but feel free to message me if you don't hear from me.  Might get a little forgetful having a preschooler and newborn at home.

    I'm interested in this as well.  I'm planning to deliver there in July.  

    I did find this on their website re: masks

    CloseDo I have to wear a mask during labor and delivery?

    You and your support person will need to wear a mask upon arrival and when leaving the hospital. You will not need to wear a mask if you and your support person are alone in a private room. We do ask that you put masks on while our healthcare providers are in the room, though masks are not required during active labor and delivery. We appreciate your help in maintaining safe patient care.

    I gave birth at AB on 3/31. We had a really positive experience. We felt safe and well cared for. We were not allowed to leave the room, though my husband was allowed to leave to get food. They may require masks now; they didn't when I was in labor. Because the hospital is not allowing visitors, it was very quiet and serene. Again, all in all, it was a very positive experience.  

    Hi! I just delivered at Alta Bates at the end of April, two weeks ago. Your partner can leave the hospital once daily to get food/do what they need to do. You can leave your room to walk the unit, but must wear a mask. You do not need to wear a mask in labor, but you do in prep. And, we did have one nurse ask us to wear a mask in our room whenever she came to check vitals. Hope that helps! 

    I gavd birth end of March at Eden which is another East Bay Sutter Hospital. I had a Cesarean so I'm not sure about the masks for your labor, but we weren't asked to wear them in our room. One person could be with me and it couldn't change, so not one qt a time but only one person. My husband could leave once only, he was provided all his meals from the hospital since he couldn't leave but the nurses did say if we wanted to Doordash or similar they could meet the driver outside. We didn't really leave the room but that was pur choice, but we were allowed to go with the baby the few times she went to the nursery.

    Hopefully that was somewhat helpful,, i know I was worried what it would be like with Covid19 but if you have specific concerns I'd call the Alta Bates Labor and Delivery or your OB office to find out what the rules are now.

    I gave birth at Alta Bates last week. They gave us masks but weren't super strict about me wearing it the whole time. They checked both our temperatures when we went in and even though neither of us had a fever they tested me for Covid19 in the L&D room (but not my partner). They told us we wouldn't be able to leave the room but then did encourage us to walk around the halls at one point - it might just depend on who your nurses are and how busy they are. They mentioned that we could get food delivered and meet them at the entrance, or go to the cafeteria in the building for food, but we didn't end up doing either. They have premade sandwiches they'll bring your partner upon request, and honestly they're better than most of the hot meals they brought me, so I ended up eating those as well. I'd recommend bringing some snacks with you, so you have more options. Overall the experience was definitely different due to Covid 19 but not majorly so - the nurses were really great and understanding about balancing necessary restrictions with keeping me comfortable. The main thing to be aware of is that they don't allow you to use nitrous right now, so that limits your pain management options.

    Feel free to reach out directly if you have any other specific questions!

    I just gave birth at Alta Bates. Like others are saying, we had to wear masks whenever someone was in the room. I brought a cloth mask from home that was way more comfortable than the issued N95. I did wear it all the way through labor. During the actual delivery, the doctor and nurses were suited up in full protective gear. Despite all the precautions, the hospital felt very peaceful and the entire experience was really good. 

    Not Covid19 related, but our car got broken into in the parking garage (thankfully, they didn't take the car seat and there was no broken glass). We usually make sure to conceal everything in the car but probably left some things out in the hurry to get to the hospital.

    Thank you everyone so much for your responses. We found all of this information very helpful!

  • Childcare during childbirth with shelter in place?

    – Apr 8, 2020
    (2 replies)

    Hello, 

    We are due with our second end of June, and have a one and a half year old. We had already arranged with her home-based daycare that when I went into labor, our first born would stay there until we got back from the hospital as she would be the most comfortable spending the night/extended days there. However, with COVID, she's no longer going to the daycare as we're not essential workers (though they're still open and serving essential workers). If shelter in place is still happening in June/July, do you know if I'm still able to send her to the daycare just while I'm in labor? Not sure what the procedure is for childcare for medical reasons...(note, we don't have family in the area).

    Apr 8, 2020

    I don't have official knowledge, but as a mom of two in daycare, I do think it depends on the daycare. I know some daycares have closed, but ours has not, and this is because (I believe) state and national guidance have exempted daycares from school closings. My best advice would be for you to talk to your daycare and let them know your need. They may be able to provide care for you, or else, perhaps they could arrange for an in-home provider that would be familiar to your family already. As it is a very fluid situation, I think the more transparent everybody is about needs and limitations for what can be offered, the better the chances are that you will be able to work something out. June/July may still be far off, but I'd start the conversation now. If you get the sense that they won't be able to help you, maybe you could start hiring a sitter just for familiarity and use that person down the line to care for your daughter while you are in the hospital. Good luck!

    Your daycare will likely be able to accept your childcare since it is only for a day or two and you have a medical need for childcare.  But if nanny/babysitter/friend is a possibility, you might want to consider that instead.  Since the daycare is open for essential workers and those workers are still out there in the community and some might be health workers working with sick folks, the risk of your child catching a virus in daycare is higher than if you just used a nanny or sent your kid to a friend for a day or two.  If you were an essential worker and needed the daycare then the risk is bearable as children are for the most part doing ok and it is the same risk as any other essential worker family taking on, but consider if you are willing to take the risk for having your child exposed to several (10-12) kids of workers who are not currently sheltering in place just for one or two days of childcare and potentially bring it home to a newborn baby. 

  • Planning for newborn childcare during Covid 19 shelter-in-place

    – Apr 4, 2020
    (2 replies)

    I am giving birth this week to my first child and have not secured childcare.  Originally, my husband and I were going to start looking in March and take our time through the process.  I'm an educator and my husband is self-employed so we have some flexibility, and were hoping to secure something by July.  With Covid 19 and California's shelter-in-place order I'm not quite sure how to navigate this at all.  We are mostly interested in a nanny share.  Thanks for any insights!

    Apr 4, 2020

    My experience with both my children (5 and 10 mos) was that things fell into place with a nanny share about 6 weeks or so before we needed care. It can feel like you're cutting it too close but families and nannies often aren't looking before then so it can be hard to find something much earlier. So if you're hoping for care in July, you can at least wait it out for another month or so to see where we are with the epidemic and stay-at-home orders. 

    There is no reason you can't reach out and start talking to families who might be posting about nanny shares now. You don't typically meet in person until you think you're a match anyhow, so if you see a posting that seems promising, reach out, say hello, start a convo and meet up later. Also agree that you don't need as much lead time for nanny shares as you do with daycares, so 4-6 weeks is a good window. 

  • Sleep consultant for infant - video or phone consultation

    – Mar 31, 2020
    (7 replies)

    Hello,

    We have a 5-month-old baby who used to sleep through the night (6.5-7 hours) and suddenly can’t stay asleep longer than 2 hours (sometimes as few as 20 minutes) without being held. We don’t know if it’s the sudden change from being in daycare to being sheltered in place, or just a normal developmental thing, but as two working parents trying to figure out life in the corona virus-era, we’ve come to the place where we are looking for help. Thought I’d post here to see if any parents have recommendations for sleep consultants (or things to look for/avoid). 
     

    If you’ve worked with someone before and liked them, who did you work with and what did you like about them? How long did you have to work with them before seeing results? Also, guidance on the going rate for sleep consultants?

    Any help is appreciated. At this point, we’re looking for someone who will do video and/or phone consultations.
    Thanks!

    Mar 31, 2020

    Sounds to me like the 4-month sleep regression came slightly later. Keep with your good bedtime sleep routines, and if you’re open to sleep training (ask your peds first), you can start thinking about sleep training.  We chose not to sleep train (CIO) but rather stuck to our routines, putting down drowsy, and rode out the 3ish weeks (it was painful but for us worth it).  Usually with some gentle sleep coaching and good bedtime routines, this regression rides itself out. 

    This sounds like a 4 month sleep regression. In theory, if they learn to fall asleep by themselves in the place where they will sleep for the whole night then they should improve at getting themselves back to sleep when they wake up. I have used the resources on www.babysleepscience.com and have called them for a consultation (on a different sleep issue). It's not cheap but it was virtual, efficient, helpful, and they also answered lots of follow up questions for no additional charge. See their blog on the 4 month sleep regression at: https://www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/2014/03/12/The-Four-Month-S...

    We were just finishing our sleep training with Anne Del Valle of weesleep and it's been great. She is in the bay area, but everything was done via video or phone.

    We used Sleep Well Specialists (Shannon Glenn) for both of our kids. Their prices are reasonable but not sure how much they are for new clients as we were returning clients and so the price was reduced. We started at 4 months for both kids and our 1st it took much longer then our 2nd.... 1st took about 4 weeks for night time sleep and 6 for naps, and our 2nd it took much shorter time because we already knew what we were doing. It's all done through phone calls, logging information that you send them and daily feedback using an app. The results are really up to the parents and how how dedicated you are in following the guidelines and following through.  They also will tailor the training based on your preferences and situation (for example my son's nap time needed to start right when I had to drop off my daughter at school - so we made some adjustments to the nap schedule, learned some tricks, etc.) If interested, here is their site and they will set up a 15 min free consultation - https://www.sleepwellsleepspecialists.com

    We hired a sleep consultant to help sleep train our daughter when she turned 3 months old, and our only regret is that we didn't get help from a professional sooner! We used Sleep Wise Consulting and worked with Darrah Torres. HIGHLY recommended. Worth every penny. Our daughter, now 8 months, has slept 12 hours a night (7pm-7am) with few problems since she was 3 months old thanks to them!  https://sleepwiseconsulting.com/

    I know this is not exactly the question you asked, but I wanted to share that the Respectful Sleep Training Facebook Group is an incredibly helpful resource, both the people in the group and several of the files. My almost 6 month old went through something similar when he was 5 months. We had already sleep trained him at 12 weeks so it was a real shocker. After 4 nights of terrible sleep for all of us, we did 2 nights letting him CIO (one of which he cried for about an hour, and the other 30 minutes) and then he went back to his old ways and even better, is now going 12 hours at night without a feeding. Good luck to you!

    Hmmm. Sounds to me like the whole CoVid crisis is being felt by baby. These are really crazy times! If it were me, I would just hold baby as much as you can so baby feels comfort. Sounds to me like that’s what baby needs. I co-slept so I could get more sleep myself. All other mammals co-sleep. 

  • Lactation consultant with virtual visits?

    – Mar 28, 2020
    (10 replies)

    Hi, I have a 3 month old and we're having some new breastfeeding challenges. I'm wondering if anybody has a recommendation for a lactation consultant that does virtual visits in the Berkeley/Oakland area? I'd like to avoid close contact if at all possible given the coronavirus precautions. Thank you!

    Mar 28, 2020

    I have a 2 month old and was looking for one myself.  My pediatrician recommended Janaki Costello and saw that they are no longer doing house calls but are taking clients with some COVID19 precautions—spacing clients out and cleaning in between, etc. Not a virtual visit, but I was desperate.  
     

    https://www.eastbaylactationassociates.com/

    Molly Sims at East Bay Lactation is amazing.

    +15105251155

    I saw East Bay Lactation Consultants (Molly) who was helpful. I had an in-person visit in my home but that was 2 months ago.

    She recently sent an email that she is doing remote visits and in-person if there's a medical need, and often with breastfeeding there might be. Sometimes you do need to be seen in person and based on her email they are taking the necessary precautions. They also have an office you can still visit if needed (that doesn't have much if any foot traffic right now) and scales she can lend you at home if weight gain is an issue.

    Best of luck with breastfeeding!

    HI, Primary Pediatrics has an on-staff lactation consultant (Georganne Walker), and I know they can do pediatric appointments virtually (my son got sick last week and they said we had to do a virtual appt) so you could try them. 

    Molly Brannigan with East Bay Lactation Consultants is amazing, and she’s doing virtual visits.

    Let me recommend Adara Blake http://www.honeybeespeechandlactation.com/. She is well-trained, experienced and set up for telehealth. 

    If you're not able to find anyone local, the center I went to when we lived in DC is currently offering virtual visits:  https://metropolitanbreastfeeding.com/private-consultations/?mc_cid=7b4e8825aa&mc_eid=d45a127af1.  You'd have to deal with East Coast hours, but virtual is virtual and the doctors at the center are really great. Good luck!

    Molly Brannigan at East Bay Lactation Associates is AMAZING! I know she does virtual appoints. 

    I saw Lynn Thiebaud in person shortly after my baby was born in November and have been following up with her ever since.  She is great, directly bills insurance, has online scheduling and does virtual visits: https://lynnthiebaudlactationservices.com/

    Hi: For my two sons (currently ages 2 weeks newborn and 16 months toddler) I’ve worked with Ellen Schwerin, see her contact below.  Given COVID we moved into virtual consults including for my recent newborn and it worked well! Ellen is an incredibly knowledgeable, passionate consultant and she transformed our breastfeeding experience to ensure it was comfortable for mama and effective for getting my boys well fed and hitting their weight gain milestones.  Can’t recommend her enough! 

    Ellen H. Schwerin, MPH, IBCLC 
    Board Certified Lactation Consultant 
    Happy Milk Lactation Support 
    Phone: 510-730-2154
    http://happymilk.us

  • Childbirth at Kaiser During Covid

    – Mar 20, 2020
    (3 replies)

    Hello, 

    I am looking to connect with other pregnant women who are planning to deliver at Kaiser Oakland between April and July. I am due end of June. Hoping to support and educate others about our experiences during these changing times. I haven't found my OB to be very helpful as she is new to Kaiser and learning the system. I'm not interested in a paid support group but connecting with other woman face to face on video conference. Many thanks. 

    Mar 20, 2020

    I’m not due until September but I’ve been concerned by the lack of information and support I’ve gotten from Kaiser about what my prenatal care will look like. I think it’s because they don’t know yet as things are evolving so quickly. I’m considering contracting a midwife and planning for home birth instead. 

    Hello Nina, 

    I'm also due end of June at Kaiser Oakland and starting to get a little nervous. I'm grateful that for now Kaiser is still allowing 1 support person in the room for labor and delivery - if that continues to be the case then I'm feeling fine about the whole situation. If that changes, I'm looking into doing home births instead. My OBGYN emailed me today and said: 

    "At this point, I haven't heard any wavering from leadership about the current visitor policy, which continues to allow 1 visitor/support person for L&D patients. If that changes at any point, you and I will likely hear about it at the same time. Note that your partner will be asked not to come & go, but to stay in your room throughout your hospital stay, which we will work to keep as brief as possible (home postpartum day 1 for healthy moms & babies, possible tools to start labor inductions at home; more on that if needed in your case)."

    Hi Nina,

    I'm delivering baby #2 in May at Kaiser, happy to answer any questions about the previous experience (was wonderful) and chat about the impending changes. I know the nurses are striking on Monday and I've got an appointment Tuesday, it is scary times to be sure!

    All the best,

    Alyssa