Hello Everyone,
A quick note from all of us here at BABES. We know this is an uncertain time for many of us with many feelings and emotions about what is going on. Our goal remains the same: to provide you with the tools you need to have a successful birth business. During this global pandemic we are committed to serving you with the information you need to keep you birth business running. We are continually adding to our knowledge and research about the ongoing situation and information put out about COVID-19 and how to best serve our clients. We will keep this page updated with relevant information for birth professionals.
Best wishes to all of you, stay safe & healthy,
BABES Tribe
A quick note from all of us here at BABES. We know this is an uncertain time for many of us with many feelings and emotions about what is going on. Our goal remains the same: to provide you with the tools you need to have a successful birth business. During this global pandemic we are committed to serving you with the information you need to keep you birth business running. We are continually adding to our knowledge and research about the ongoing situation and information put out about COVID-19 and how to best serve our clients. We will keep this page updated with relevant information for birth professionals.
Best wishes to all of you, stay safe & healthy,
BABES Tribe
Current COVID-19 Information for birth professionals
> The latest evidence on COVID-19 and pregnancy:
Around the world, hospital visitation policies are becoming quite restrictive. It's important to remember that doulas and partners are not visitors, rather, they are members of the health care team and their presence is critical to having safe birth outcomes. However, I know that parents are becoming anxious about the possibility of their doulas being turned away from the hospital (and doulas are worried, too!). As far as resources go...
- Here is the CDC's FAQ about pregnancy and coronavirus disease. You'll notice that a lot of the answers start with "We do not know..." It is an unfortunate reality that very little research has been published on pregnancy, birth, and COVID-19. Due to the emerging nature of the situation, I anticipate more research will arise in the coming weeks.
- The International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology issued new guidance for birth professionals on March 11, 2020 (Poon et al. 2020). This is the most recent professional guidance we were able to find today. For patients, their main recommendations were to:
- Avoid close contact with others, i.e. avoid gatherings where a distance of 1 meter between individuals can not be maintained
- Frequent hand washing or hand sanitizer (with 70% alcohol concentration)
- Seek medical attention when experiencing symptoms such as fever and cough (but call first before going in; see if telehealth is an option)
- Check out their article for detailed info about health care provider protection, suggestions on care for infected mothers and their babies, and more. They state that there is no evidence on the safety of mother-infant separation if the mother is infected. "If the mother is severely or critically ill, separation appears to be the best option, with attempts to express breastmilk in order to maintain milk production. Precautions should be taken for the cleaning of the breast pumps. If the patient is asymptomatic or mildly affected, breastfeeding and [rooming-in] can be considered…Since the main concern is that the virus may be transmitted by respiratory droplets rather than breastmilk, breastfeeding mothers should ensure to wash their hands and wear a three-ply surgical mask before touching the baby."
- A review article was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology on February 24 (Rasmussen et al. 2020). This article compares and contrasts the effects of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 on pregnant women. They summarize the result from several small studies from China in which pregnant women with COVID-19 were followed. In one study with 9 pregnancies, 6 had intrauterine fetal distress, 7 gave birth by Cesarean , and 6 infants were born preterm. The symptoms in these women were similar to non-pregnant patients: fever, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, and fatigue.
- A case report was just published March 12 [online ahead of print] that reports the first case of COVID-19 infection in a newborn whose mother was also diagnosed with COVID-19 in China (Wang et al. 2020). The researchers are not sure how the baby caught the virus, since the baby was separated from its mother at birth and there were zero traces of the virus in breastmilk, cord blood, and the placenta. We don't know if the virus can be transmitted through the placenta before birth. Fortunately, in this case, the illness was mild in both the mother and baby, and the baby's prognosis was good.
- Dr. Aviva Romm, an MD specializing in integrative medicine, has posted some interesting articles on her website about pregnancy and COVID-19.
Around the world, hospital visitation policies are becoming quite restrictive. It's important to remember that doulas and partners are not visitors, rather, they are members of the health care team and their presence is critical to having safe birth outcomes. However, I know that parents are becoming anxious about the possibility of their doulas being turned away from the hospital (and doulas are worried, too!). As far as resources go...
- Birth Monopoly has an excellent article on this subject... I highly recommend absorbing the info there!
- EBB Instructor Jolynne Polichette posted a letter template for care providers to sign about doula support
- The American Association of Women's Health and Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses has issued a statement on this subject.
OFFICIAL public health and relevant organizations
CDC: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
CDC: Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Information about Coronavirus (COVID-19)WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
WHO: Recommendations for rooming-in even if you’re infected
Aviva Romm MD: COVID-19: An Integrative MDs Commonsense Approach
RCOG: Recommends against routine separation of COVID-19-affected mothers and babies
ACOG: Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Practice Advisory
CDC: Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Information about Coronavirus (COVID-19)WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
WHO: Recommendations for rooming-in even if you’re infected
Aviva Romm MD: COVID-19: An Integrative MDs Commonsense Approach
RCOG: Recommends against routine separation of COVID-19-affected mothers and babies
ACOG: Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Practice Advisory
Free Business Resources
1. SBA. The Small Business Association’s Create Your Business Plan section of its website is an excellent place to start when drafting your business plan. If you’re not sure how to write a business plan, this free resource will walk you through each section, telling you what to include and how to make it stand out.
2. Your State’s Small Business Development Center. Each state runs its own small business development center, a valuable free resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs. For example, the California Small Business Development Center offers a handy business startup checklist on its website along with a variety of other tools. It also provides access to business advisors and special events. Check out the SBA’s list of small business development centers by state here.
3. SCORE. SCORE’s Business Plan page is another fantastic and free small business resource loaded with online business workshops and podcasts. Free mentoring is also available – both in person and via email.
4. Business Startup Planner. Many aspiring entrepreneurs have an idea, but also have trouble articulating that idea. Navarro College Small Business Development Center in Texas has a free business startup planner questionnaire designed to help you put your ideas into words.
5. BABES Small Business 101 BABES blog has a section called Startup 101 that is entirely dedicated to planning and executing a new small business launch. This free small business resource is loaded with information and tools for each of the following topics: Inspiration, Planning, Structure, Finance, Regulations, Insurance, Location, Store Design, Equipment, Inventory, Staffing, Marketing, and Growth & Exit Strategies.
6. Business USA Business USA’s Start a Business wizard is an online tool that asks you a variety of questions, such as whether you’ve invented something, plan on opening a restaurant, or will be purchasing an existing business. Based on your answers, the wizard prepares an action plan with steps to take and local resources based on your ZIP code.
7. Entrepreneur.com Entrepreneur’s Business Plans Forms and Templates page is loaded with business plan guidelines, checklists, templates, and models. This section also includes links to related categories such as Marketing Forms and Templates, Entrepreneurship, and Finance.
From questionnaires, templates, and interactive business planning tools to in-person mentoring, online workshops and podcasts, these free small business resources contain a wealth of information tailored specifically for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
2. Your State’s Small Business Development Center. Each state runs its own small business development center, a valuable free resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs. For example, the California Small Business Development Center offers a handy business startup checklist on its website along with a variety of other tools. It also provides access to business advisors and special events. Check out the SBA’s list of small business development centers by state here.
3. SCORE. SCORE’s Business Plan page is another fantastic and free small business resource loaded with online business workshops and podcasts. Free mentoring is also available – both in person and via email.
4. Business Startup Planner. Many aspiring entrepreneurs have an idea, but also have trouble articulating that idea. Navarro College Small Business Development Center in Texas has a free business startup planner questionnaire designed to help you put your ideas into words.
5. BABES Small Business 101 BABES blog has a section called Startup 101 that is entirely dedicated to planning and executing a new small business launch. This free small business resource is loaded with information and tools for each of the following topics: Inspiration, Planning, Structure, Finance, Regulations, Insurance, Location, Store Design, Equipment, Inventory, Staffing, Marketing, and Growth & Exit Strategies.
6. Business USA Business USA’s Start a Business wizard is an online tool that asks you a variety of questions, such as whether you’ve invented something, plan on opening a restaurant, or will be purchasing an existing business. Based on your answers, the wizard prepares an action plan with steps to take and local resources based on your ZIP code.
7. Entrepreneur.com Entrepreneur’s Business Plans Forms and Templates page is loaded with business plan guidelines, checklists, templates, and models. This section also includes links to related categories such as Marketing Forms and Templates, Entrepreneurship, and Finance.
From questionnaires, templates, and interactive business planning tools to in-person mentoring, online workshops and podcasts, these free small business resources contain a wealth of information tailored specifically for small business owners and entrepreneurs.