In my second trimester at 21 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with Covid. In this blog I outline the care plan that I personally used to nurse myself back to health. I firmly believe being proactive in my recovery by using the care plan below was crucial.

(I must also note that as my baseline I am a VERY healthy 38 year old woman with NO co-morbidities, who is EXTREMELY proactive about my health. I exercise daily, take supplements daily, eat incredibly clean, & have a low toxic load because of my lifestyle choices, all of which I believe allowed me to have more fight against this nasty virus. Please take this into consideration if you are considering getting vaxed or not)

When I got diagnosed, I was given NO guidance at urgent care aside for come back if you get worse & drink warm liquids with honey to help with your cough (which as a former ICU nurse I think is embarrassing as guidance against a known fatal virus for an expectant mom, so this blog is my attempt to create a resource that can guide others how to be proactive about their recovery.

Getting Covid for anyone can trigger lots of uncertainty and fear, having covid while pregnant even more so.

We also now know that whether you’re vaccinated or not anyone can get it & expectant moms are even more susceptible, despite taking every precaution (which I learned first hand)

This Blog & Care Plan (at the bottom) Is my attempt to provide a resource to help other mamas-to-be navigate their road to recovery from this nasty virus. Please take what serves you, and leave the rest.

If you want to skip right to the care plan I used GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG.

The next few paragraphs I share briefly about my symptoms & how & when I sought help because I feel that might also be of value to those who may find themselves in a similar situation.

This blog is NOT intended to treat or diagnose or provide medical advice. It is merely MY EXPERIENCE & what I felt helped me get through. You should heed the advice of your TRUSTED health care provider & seek medical help if you need it.

My intention is only to help other expectant mamas who are limited by care and medication options & those who find themselves Covid + wanting to be PROACTIVE about their recovery to have some insights of the things I did that I felt helped me recover.

HOW IT PRESENTED

I almost dismissed my initial symptoms as severe allergies because I didn’t have a fever & didn’t feel super sick.

My initial symptoms were…

SEVERE Deep Dry Cough
Mild runny nose (which I had had because of allergies)
Mild aches

However, on day 3 of my cough I also experienced a bronchial spasm that quite literally brought me to my knees. It got my attention, and being that I am pregnant and was due to travel in a few days I went to the Urgent Care to get seen.

My blood pressure & oxygen saturation was good, but to “be on the safe side” they swabbed me, & the Urgent Care doc looked shocked when my rapid results came back Covid +.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE (often rapid screenings are inaccurate & that if you test negative on a rapid but have these same symptoms I HIGHLY advocate you request a PCR and quarantine until you get a result. Often times you can get a delayed +)

The Urgent Care Docs only recommendations were to return if my breathing got increasingly labored, and to treat my cough with Honey, Warm Liquids, and Tylenol if I needed it for headache/fever. And IF I had a home pulse ox to monitor my oxygen saturation.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

The day after my visit to urgent care was one of the worst. I couldn’t talk without exacerbating a deep painful coughing fit. My chest felt tight, I was exhausted, I was achy, and I lost my appetite. I did have an insatiable thirst, & still no fever.

On Day 5 of my symptoms I had been monitoring my O2 levels with an at home pulse ox & that was the day my O2 did dip to 94-95 for the first time. It had been 98-99%. My heart rate was elevated. Normally my resting heart rate is 60-70’s, but was 90-100s.

I also lost my sense of smell. For the previous 3 days I had been having an odd sensation in my sinuses. The only way I can describe it is the feeling of when you get pool water up your nose & it stings. Then I noticed while I was trying to take a eucalyptus steam in the shower that I couldn’t smell it AT ALL, nor could I smell the essential oils diffusing in my room.

On Day 7 the headaches started & while I avoided taking Tylenol up until this point I couldn’t avoid it any longer. My head ached so bad I took the max allowable dose to get some relief & so I could sleep.

On Day 11 the cough wasn’t getting any better and the discomfort in my chest and ribs was so intense that I called into a Tele Health Doc for a consult. He encouraged me to go back into urgent care to get a chest X-Ray to rule out pneumonia.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

Back at the urgent care, I was brought back right away. Given that I was known Covid +, presenting with “Shortness of Breath”, & 22 weeks pregnant, they didn’t waste any time getting me a Chest X-Ray. Luckily my lungs were clear. (such a relief)

The urgent care doc did want to transfer me to a larger facility to rule out a P.E. (pulmonary embolism) as Covid + prenatal patients are at higher risk and while my O2 was still 97-98 my heart rate was low 100s and my Respiratory Rate was 20+

However, after having a phone consult with my OB they were able to run some labs & based on an algorithm & protocol regarding expectant moms with covid sited here, they were okay NOT doing a CT to rule out a PE, & felt confident I would be okay to return home.

THIS urgent care doc did recommend I start taking Guaifenesin for my cough. I attempted to take some that night, but aside from making me feel really weird, exacerbating my cough, and having restless legs all night to the point that I couldn’t sleep it did not have the desired result. So I stopped using it & continued using what I had been for relief (which I will list in detail below).

It’s worth mentioning though that taking the Guaifenesin did help me start to bring up mucus. Up until this point my cough was dry. After this point my cough started bringing up yellowish junk from my lungs. However, once it started it didn’t stop and I continued to clear mucus for weeks after.

TURNING THE CORNER

On day 13 I finally felt a shift. I still had a raging headache, but my smell started to come back a little. I had a bit more energy, & my cough had started to ease up. I still experienced shortness of breath if I was up too much, my blood pressure was low and my heart rate was still high. But I could just tell I was starting to feel better. Less foggy mentally and all my aches were gone.

I know that being PROACTIVE about my care helped me recover. I have outlined my plan below in detail. I had other trusted friends make recommendations that I wasn’t comfortable doing while pregnant, but AGAIN I say check with your health care provider if you are in question.

Whether you’re expecting or not, vaccinated or not, we all have the potential to get this thing. It’s proved it doesn’t discriminate. My hope is that you don’t get it, but if you or someone you care about does that some of the recommendations here can help you on the road to a FULL RECOVERY!!

MY CARE PLAN

I again preface this with I am not sharing as a health care professional. I am sharing this as MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE as a prenatal mama having successfully fought off Covid. You should consult a medical professional for your treatment plan & what’s right for you given your health history. I didn’t find many resources for expectant moms, so this care plan is to SERVE & Help. LINK HERE FOR MOST THINGS I LISTED BELOW ON AMAZON

PHYSICAL

Get outside & get fresh air & sunshine as much as possible
Walk/ Move regularly as your breathing & energy permits (nothing strenuous)
I used a hand held Massage Gun & my mom also did percussion (strong pats on my back) to help break up mucus
Each morning I got in child’s pose (the closest I could get to prone aka face down with my baby belly) to help ventilate the back of my lungs
Moved my legs while in bed (do what you can to improve circulation so you don’t get blood clots in legs from not moving)
Took Eucalyptus Steam Showers 2-3 times a day. I used THESE EUCALYPTUS Vapors in Shower.
Did Deep Breathing exercises in the shower. Deep breaths in, hold it at top of inhale, & exhaled. (it makes you cough but my lungs needed the deep breaths as did the baby)
Diffused essential oils Breathe, On Guard, & DDR Prime around the clock
Ran a Humidifier in my room constantly to help move my secretions
Used a Neils Med Nasal Lavage 2-3 times a day to clear secretions & mucus.
Sleep (the body is working hard to fight off infection & grow that sweet baby give it rest)

MONITORING

Used an at Home Pulse Ox to monitor my O2 & Heart Rate every couple hours
Took my Blood Pressure daily to ensure it was within normal limits
I have a stethoscope (as a former ICU nurse) so I listened to my lungs as did my mom (also a former nurse) to ensure they sounded clear

SUPPLEMENTS

(I completely lost my appetite by day 4 & it didn’t return until day 13/14. I focused on nutrient density in what I was able to get down, supplements, and staying VERY hydrated)

I was already on a daily prenatal vitamin which included many essentials THIS IS THE ONE I USE
Added in extra Magnesium Glycinate (if you are taking a prenatal check how much is already in yours before adding more)
Added in Extra D3 (if you are taking a prenatal check how much is already in yours before adding more)
I took THIS IMMUNITY Blend Mix every morning I use it even when I’m not sick & have a discount code: JACLYN
Daily as a baseline I drink a Greens Mix of Powdered Greens, ChlorOxygen, & Ionic Zinc daily & continued to do so.
Daily I also drink a Superfood Smoothie & I continued to do so especially while I was sick to get the nutrients.
Lozenges (lots and lots of lozenges) this was the only thing that seem to help my cough
Chestal Herbal Cough Medicine
Quercetine (I used this only for a couple days, but discontinued using as a personal preference, but wanted to mention it as an option. As with all of them do your research for what’s right for you)

MENTAL (please please don’t skip or underestimate this piece, it’s arguably one of the most powerful)

PRAYED… regularly all day. Used the Bible App on my phone & Scriptures & Prayers for Healing
Started & Ended each day with a short mediation. I used BOD Unstress Mediations, Uplugged App, & Headspace
Let Healing Frequency Music Play all day in my room MY PLAYLIST
Avoided Social Media & Any negative energy, fear mongering, or worst case scenario stories, & THE NEWS.
Focused on & repeated Affirmations for Healing (Included List below)
When I had the energy & ability to hold a conversation I Face Timed with only my nearest & dearest most POSITIVE friends & family who lifted me up, made me smile & laugh
Listened to Podcasts & You Tube vids that reminded me of my strength & ability. Listed a few of my faves below.
Get Outside to meditate and deep breathe if possible, fresh air + mindset work = a powerful shift.

FOOD (since I didn’t have ANY appetite & lost my sense of smell this was challenging, so I focused on making sure what was getting in was as nutrient dense as possible for me and the baby)

Bone Broth
LOTS of herbal & decaf teas + HONEY (warm liquids were a must all day)
Fresh Pressed Green Juices (from a local place that delivered)
As much fruit as I could (it’s just about the only thing that tasted good or would go down easily)
Steamed Broccoli (I normally love it, but choked it down purely for the baby & because I knew I needed to eat something. So if I was going to force myself I wanted to make sure what was going down had nutrient density)
My daily Superfood Smoothie THIS IS THE ONE I USE because it not only has protein, but pre & pro-biotics, adaptogens, & nutrient dense immunity boosting vitamins & superfoods I knew my body needed.

30 AFFIRMATIONS FOR HEALING

Every cell in my body resonates with energy and well-being.
I trust and respect my body’s wisdom.
I allow myself to heal inside and out.
I am patient, give myself time, and let go of things that I cannot control.
I choose to release my illness.
My illness is slowly melting away.
Happiness is the music of my body, and vitality is its song.
I put myself, my health, and healing above everything. I strive to live a good life.
I consider what I think about myself more than what people think of me.
I am being restored to my best health
My body is strong & is healing with each breath I take
Pain is a teacher, and I am learning from it to face afflictions.
I go for peace daily, no matter how difficult it is.
I am at ease with my pain because I know it will heal soon.
My diagnosis was the starting point to build a better life.
I will replace my negative thoughts with positive thoughts
I learned what I needed to learn from this illness, now I am ready to move on.
With every breath I exhale I release my illness.
I commit myself to feeling better
Every part of my body is ready to let go of the illness and pain.
I deserve to be healthy and happy
Every part of my body radiates with vitality and energy.
I will get through this situation and come out healthier and happier.
I will not let this illness get the best of me.
I believe in my body`s power to regenerate and heal itself.
I choose to think and feel positive in any situation.
My body is strong, healthy and relaxed.
Every cell in my body is well.
I choose to make health my priority.
I listen to what my body needs.