Well, going into the new year with COVID was definitely not anywhere on my to-do list. I’d be lying if I said I stayed calm at the onset of symptoms… I had a good ol’ fashioned meltdown. Mostly because, if I’m being honest, I never actually thought I would get it while pregnant. How naive, I know! I realized during that period that I really thought I was going to be fine, one of the lucky ones, wouldn’t have to deal with that type of scare. I realized that I didn’t really know anything about COVID and pregnancy (none of us do for certain). And I realized that, although I felt comfortable with my decision not to get vaccinated while pregnant, when it came down to it there was a whole lot of fear built up telling me I couldn’t trust my body to get through it naturally. As usual, the fear was wrong.

My family and I spend every Christmas in Ohio with my husband’s side of the family. The day after Christmas, Bryan started to feel sick, so he took a rapid home test. Negative. The next day he felt worse, so he took another one. Positive. I was shook. Now it all feels so silly, given the nationwide surge of COVID cases around the holidays and into the new year. By the time I tested positive I personally knew at least 30 other people who also had the virus. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

Anyway, we found out Bryan had COVID and he immediately started quarantining in the basement area of my in-laws’ house. Our daughter and I stayed upstairs and if I needed to go down or bring something to him, Bryan and I both wore masks. It felt safe enough, and after several days of no symptoms ourselves, Mila and I decided to go home without my husband on our scheduled flight. By the end of the day we flew back, I started feeling a tickle in my throat… and that’s when the anxiety set in.

I had heard stories about pregnant women, unvaccinated, in the hospital with COVID and on oxygen. I also have a cousin who knew of her husband’s relative that had a horrible COVID/pregnancy/hospitalization story (I won’t reiterate it here). I’m a generally healthy person, but I just didn’t know what to expect or how the virus would affect me in my pregnant state—it all seemed unpredictable and very individual. I think the reason I became filled with such anxiety is because it was the first time I felt like there could be a serious threat to the baby. For the first time, I deeply regretted not getting vaccinated before becoming pregnant. I guess I should clarify this whole vaccination thing now…

First, I am not against vaccines at all. Vaccines are life-saving. My husband is vaccinated against COVID. Our daughter will be vaccinated soon. And 99% of my family and friends are all vaccinated and I completely agree with their decisions. However, I was skeptical of the (lack of) information regarding COVID vaccination and pregnancy, and I just didn’t feel comfortable receiving the vaccine when I knew we were about to conceive. Then, I got pregnant much sooner than we expected, and I also did not feel comfortable getting vaccinated while pregnant. This is my first pregnancy and I just didn’t want to risk anything whatsoever. So that was the reasoning behind my decision.

So, after a day of freaking out that I might have COVID, I calmed down. I had to remind myself that I chose not to get vaccinated for a reason, and I needed to trust that whether I just had a cold or I had COVID, it was going to be okay. My mother-in-law is a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) and has a number of experiences with unvaccinated pregnant women getting COVID. Not all have had an easy time, but she was able to recount that most of the patients she saw were getting through it just fine, as were their babies. I relaxed a little. And the next day, I tested positive.

It’s interesting because, like I said, the way COVID moves through people is truly so individual. My husband has some respiratory issues including asthma, so he had a rough time for a few days despite being vaccinated. For me, COVID was like a moderate cold. I experienced congestion and coughing, with two nights of a bad sore throat. No fever or fatigue.

I was so grateful to have had a relatively easy time dealing with COVID, especially while pregnant. I did worry a little each day; thankfully my mother-in-law sent a pulse oximeter so I could make sure my oxygen levels were above or around 95%. If I were to drop closer to 90% I would have been advised to seek oxygen supplementation. I really think my general health and prenatal vitamins and supplements were the main factor in how my body fought the virus. For those curious, I take a good quality prenatal (Optimal Prenatal from Seeking Health), as well as vitamin D3, Mother’s DHA, and a calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement. For about two months before getting COVID I had also been taking Immune Support and Cold Seasons, both for pregnancy from a company called WishGarden. I ramped up my intake of these tinctures while I was sick, and I believe it helped tremendously. 

There’s no ulterior motive to this post except to share my personal experience with COVID while being pregnant and unvaccinated. I know that people have such feelings about vaccination and COVID, and for me it’s just important to respect everyone’s individual choices. Without judgment. I know people who work in medicine who don’t feel comfortable getting the vaccine and I know people who have no relation to the medical field that are completely, 100% confident in it. I personally think it’s clear that the vaccine and booster shots have helped the majority of people avoid major illness and death after contracting COVID. I also know it’s not at all a cure or guarantee. 

At the end of the day, I hope we can all just learn to trust our bodies and our choices, and respect others just the same. Above all, I hope you don’t get COVID! 

Love & sisterhood,

Allie