Amid health threats presented by the virus, Suci continues to make various efforts to maintain her health and the health of her unborn baby.
Suci, employed as a health worker, started leading a clean and healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced nutritious diet as needed during pregnancy.
For the sake of the health of the child in the womb and herself, Suci always ensures that her food intake is rich in macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein, fats, and micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals.
In addition to eating a balanced nutritious diet, she also regularly does exercises that are safe for pregnant women, including by walking around the neighborhood.
Once a month, she regularly visits a health facility to undergo health check-up to keep track of the maternal and foetal health. Suci remarked that she always visits a health facility whenever she feels unfit in order to get checked.
Apart from those efforts, Suci expressed gratitude that she had also completed the two-dose primary COVID-19 vaccinations and got the third or booster dose.
She believes that vaccination is part of the efforts to enhance protection against the virus that has been spreading around the world for the last two years.
Despite having received three vaccine doses, she continues to comply with the health protocols to prevent the risk of COVID-19 transmission, including wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding crowds.
With those efforts, Suci expressed hope that her pregnancy amid the pandemic would remain safe until the delivery of her baby.
Optimal protection
Obstetrician, Dr Edy Priyanto, Sp.OG(K), remarked that pregnant women do need optimal protection in order to have a good and safe pregnancy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hence, he reminded pregnant women, who had yet to receive the vaccine dose, to immediately get vaccinated, either the first dose, second dose, or the third dose or booster.
According to the doctor, vaccination would provide protection to pregnant women, as they fall in the vulnerable group, who become a priority in the efforts to accelerate handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Priyanto, who serves as head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (Unsoed) Purwokerto, stated that pregnant women, whose gestational age has entered 13 weeks, are strongly advised to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the earliest.
To increase the coverage of COVID-19 vaccinations among pregnant women, raising awareness and disseminating information to the public must continue to be improved, he stressed.
Those efforts are essential in order to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, especially for people vulnerable to the virus, he added.
He assessed that active dissemination conducted through integrated health services posts (posyandu), community health centers (puskesmas), or other health facilities, which is supported by the dissemination of information conducted through social media platforms, would effectively boost pregnant women’s participation in the national COVID-19 vaccination program.
He reminded pregnant women to continue to maintain a clean and healthy lifestyle during pregnancy in the midst of the global pandemic.
The obstetrician also reminded pregnant women to continue to have their pregnancy and health checked regularly at the nearest health facilities, of course, while still complying with the health protocols to avoid possible exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
He noted that routine check-ups can be conducted at least six to eight times during pregnancy. However, during emergency conditions, pregnant women need to immediately visit a health facility, so that they can get immediate treatment, he stressed.
He drew attention to the conditions that lead to emergencies, such as bleeding from the birth canal, water discharged from the birth canal, and decreased fetal movement.
In essence, pregnant women must be aware of the condition of their pregnancy, so that when an emergency occurs, they can immediately act quickly to visit a health facility and receive treatment.
Efforts to maintain pregnancy are essential not only during pregnancy but also during postpartum, especially amid the pandemic situation.
Field Epidemiologist from Jendral Soedirman University (Unsoed) Dr. Yudhi Wibowo highlighted that pregnant women, older adults, children, and people with comorbidities need to get the COVID-19 vaccine doses, specifically the two primary doses and the booster dose.
According to Wibowo, vaccination aims to protect vulnerable groups from exposure to COVID-19 since it could reduce the hospitalization rates and prevent illness with severe symptoms when infected by the virus.
To this end, he invited the public to play an active role in supporting the government in the efforts to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccination program for the common good.
Public participation is essential, considering that vaccination and the implementation of health protocols are the main instruments that can support the acceleration of pandemic handling in the country.
Each individual is responsible for supporting efforts to accelerate pandemic handling that should be conducted jointly.
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Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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