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As I sat and watched Boris unveiling his Roadmap to the end of lockdown, it created a mixture of feelings. Of course, like most, it was welcome news to hear of life hopefully returning to normal, but I couldn’t help but feel anxious, and a little bit confused, as to how it will affect me as a pregnant woman.
The easing of lockdown is planned to happen as I’m in my third trimester – one of the riskiest times for pregnant women contracting Covid – just as family, friends and loved ones will want to get together and the UK starts to reopen. I, like many other pregnant women, haven’t received any specific advice on staying safe during this time and in a lot of ways, I feel in the dark.
I had an appointment with my midwife just a few days later and I asked her what was advised for pregnant women as restrictions started to ease. I was told just to be careful; they weren’t advising on the vaccination either way, but as it wasn’t tested on pregnant women, most women were choosing to wait until they’d had their baby to have it. ‘Just be sensible,’ my midwife said. ‘Don’t mix in big groups and follow the government advice”.
“Is that it?” I thought? “That’s all the advice I get?” It felt woolly to say the least.
According to Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, the needs of pregnant women have been ignored throughout the pandemic. “The guidance has been enormously confusing and this has left pregnant women and employers unsure of their legal rights at work,” she says. “It took the government nine months to finally issue explicit guidance for pregnant women; this appeared on their website in December, meanwhile we know that 19 pregnant women died between March and May 2020 (eight of these women were Black, Asian or ethnically diverse). The leading cause of indirect death was Covid 19”.
As a freelance writer, I have the luxury of being able to work from home, and it’s totally in my control as to how I behave when lockdown eases. Of course, I can swerve big family BBQs if I don’t feel safe and keep a low profile until my baby is here, but what about the many other pregnant women that are being forced into unsafe conditions to keep their jobs?
I do not feel safe. And I do not feel supported in my work.
Pregnant Then Screwed’s recent research revealed that out of the 7,000 pregnant women they spoke to in January, 59% of those working in caring and medical workplaces, and two out of three retail workers, said they do not feel safe. Even more shockingly, 28% of pregnant women working outside of the home said their employer had not done a risk assessment - despite the new guidance explicitly stating that all pregnant women must have one. 66% said it was not possible for them to socially distance from others when at work.
Even more concerning, recent research has shown that pregnant women are more likely to have an increased mortality rate if they are infected with Covid-19. “Any return to work in unsafe conditions could have devastating and even fatal consequences,” says Joeli. “As the vaccine was not tested on pregnant women (despite this being recommended by WHO) the majority of pregnant women will not be vaccinated against this deadly disease, yet no measures have been put in place to ensure these women are protected as industries start to open up”.
For women like Gemma, the stress of being pregnant during a global pandemic is proving very difficult. “I’m in discussion with my employer as he refuses to acknowledge that COVID-19 is a risk to pregnant women,” she says. “I’m currently having to sign off sick from work due to the stress it’s causing. I am a community care assistant so would have to be face-to-face and close contact with several clients on a daily basis. I do not feel safe. And I do not feel supported in my work.”
Laura, an NHS health visitor in the community setting, feels equally unsupported. “I'm 15 weeks pregnant and also classed as a BAME so I have a high risk pregnancy,” she explains. “I have been risk assessed at work and deemed OK to continue as normal until I am 28 weeks. But I'm finding it extremely difficult to social distance in clients' homes. Today I found out that I have been allocated a student nurse to work alongside me for the next eight weeks - she’ll shadow me everywhere and essentially make social distancing even harder”.
Laura explains that due to staffing levels and target pressures, any concerns from staff about her safety seems to fall on deaf ears. “I worry about the amount of people I'm having contact with on a daily basis whom I can't social distance from, and I can't even protect myself with the vaccine as I don't meet the eligibility in pregnancy to have it. I just feel like I'm expected to get on with it, regardless of the risk to me and my baby”.
Having already suffered two losses in previous pregnancies, this is a blessing for me and I couldn't forgive myself for taking any chances just to socialise over the summer.
Rachel, a marketing manager, also feels confused as to the safety of the vaccine in early pregnancy. “I don't know who or what to trust,” she says. “Things change all the time. How can I feel confident in a vaccine that hasn't produced data on the effects on unborn babies? Having already suffered two losses in previous pregnancies, this is a blessing for me and I couldn't forgive myself for taking any chances just to socialise over the summer.”
So what should the government be doing to help keep pregnant women across the UK feel better informed and safe? It’s a topic that Joeli and her team at Pregnant Then Screwed are working hard to improve.
“We need the government to communicate the increased impact that Covid-19 can have on pregnant women,” says Joeli. “The death of Mary Agyapong, a pregnant nurse who died after contracting Covid whilst working, was tragic and avoidable. We fully support her husband Ernest Boateng in his plea for all pregnant women to be suspended from work to shield at 20 weeks on full pay. We also support campaigns to increase furlough payments to 100% for pregnant women to support pregnant women and their employers and ensure these vulnerable women can be suspended on full pay.”
“But going even further than this, we need the government to make it known that continuing to work in unsafe conditions can be fatal. Nurse Stephanie Hignett continued to work when pregnant as she wasn’t aware of the increased risk that she was under. Her baby Evelyn sadly died at 37 weeks as a result. The post-mortem showed that Covid had obliterated the placenta. Enough is enough, we need the government to intervene and make sure that no other women suffer this fate”.
Knowing what protections you’re entitled to is therefore incredibly important for all pregnant women. Pregnant Then Screwed advises that if you are pregnant and your work hasn’t completed a risk assessment factoring in Covid 19, then they must do this. You can also use this template legal letter to share with them if you receive any pushback and read more about your legal rights when pregnant on their website.
“We know that some pregnant women are being asked to take unpaid leave, or to start their maternity leave before 36 weeks which is wrong,” confirms Joeli. “Employers must ensure that pregnant women can socially distance while at work, and during their commute. If this isn’t possible then the law says that they must be suspended on full pay”.
For further advice on your safety and rights during pregnancy, contact Pregnant Then Screwed’s free helpline here.
(All names of case studies have been changed to protect their anonymity).
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