COVID-19 and pregnancy

COVID-19 is an illness that affects your respiratory system. 

It is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

COVID-19 spreads in respiratory droplets. This can happen when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

If you think you have COVID-19 or you have been close to someone who has COVID-19, contact your maternity care providers, such as your midwife or doctor.

They can:

• ask you about any symptoms you have
• assess your condition
• give you testing advice

Do a rapid antigen test (RAT) as soon as possible. Regular RATs may help identify an infection early. If you have a planned appointment during this time, call your midwife or doctor.

Your doctor may also recommend you have a COVID-19 PCR test or a test for other viruses.

When to seek urgent care

If you have COVID-19 and you notice that your symptoms are worsening, contact your midwife or doctor as soon as possible. Or go to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately.

You should contact your midwife or doctor immediately if you notice a change in your baby's movements. 

You should also contact your midwife or doctor immediately if you experience:

• vaginal bleeding
• constant, clear, watery vaginal discharge
• abdominal pain
• contractions before 37 weeks of pregnancy
• a sudden, severe headache 
• ongoing fever
• sudden swelling of your hands or face

Tell your maternity care providers that you have COVID-19 so they can best advise you what to do.

Can I go to regular antenatal appointments if I have COVID-19?

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you can reschedule your regular antenatal appointments. This can help prevent passing COVID-19 to others at the clinic. It is important that you still get antenatal care. Most antenatal checks can be pushed back by 1-2 weeks. Speak to your midwife or doctor about how to best manage this. They can also advise you if you need to make any changes to planned tests, scans and vaccinations.

You should still seek care if you need it. If you notice a change in your baby’s movements or are very unwell, call your doctor. They can arrange an appointment that includes measures to protect others at the clinic.

You may be able to have other appointments over the phone or by video call ('telehealth (Opens in new tab)'). You should continue regular antenatal care after recovering from COVID-19.

Antiviral medicines for COVID-19 are not usually recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless there are additional risk factors that put you at higher risk of complications. Speak to your doctor about treatments. There are other ways you can treat COVID-19 if you are pregnant.

Self-care at home

You should be able to safely stay at home while you recover from COVID-19. If you are vaccinated, you are likely to only experience mild to moderate cold and flu-like symptoms. There are things you can do to relieve your symptoms. You can:

• drink lots of fluids
• rest as much as possible
• walk around often during the day to reduce your risk of developing blood clots (Opens in new tab)
• take paracetamol if you feel unwell — ibuprofen is not recommended while you are pregnant

If you haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19, you will most likely be carefully monitored by your midwife or doctor. If appropriate for your stage of pregnancy, you should continue to monitor your baby’s movements.

There are also simple things you can do to reduce the risk for others:

• Watch for symptoms.
• Don't visit high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged or disability care facilities for at least 7 days.
• Don't visit anyone at high risk of severe illness for at least 7 days.
• Consider wearing a mask when indoors and on public transport.

Hospitals and birthing centres have guidelines about labour and birth for people with COVID-19. During labour, your healthcare team will monitor both you and your baby to ensure that you stay well.

If you are pregnant and have COVID-19 you’ll still be able to have pain relief. You should also be able to give birth in whichever position works for you.

If you have any concerns, call your hospital or birthing centre. 

If you're planning a home birth, your healthcare providers may recommend that you have your baby in a hospital instead.

What if I am having a caesarean?

If you were planning to have a caesarean, you should still be able to have one. It is a good idea to confirm this with your doctor. 

It’s not necessary to have a caesarean section because of COVID-19, unless there are other complications with your labour. 

Having a caesarean does not reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 to your baby. 

Can I have my partner or birth support person with me when I give birth?

Most hospitals in Australia have guidelines on how many support people are allowed to be with you during labour and birth. This may change if you have COVID-19. You can seek advice from your midwife or doctor.

It’s likely that at least one person will be able to support you during labour and birth. This is usually your partner or a support person. It’s a good idea to check this with your hospital or birthing centre beforehand. Your support person may need to be fully vaccinated or wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as: 

• a mask
• gloves
• a gown 

The rules may change based on where you live at the time you give birth.

Will my baby be able to stay with me?

If you are well, your baby should be able to stay with you, if you follow mask and hygiene guidelines to protect your baby.

If you are unwell, you might be moved to a part of the hospital that is treating other people with COVID-19. If you are unwell and cannot look after your baby yourself, your baby can be cared for: 

• in the nursery
• at home with your partner
• at home with a suitable caregiver

If you have COVID-19, you can still care for your baby, but you'll need to follow some guidelines to protect your newborn. 

Skin-to-skin contact

Skin-to-skin contact is an important part of bonding with your baby after giving birth. 
If you have COVID-19 you should follow your midwife’s advice on how to cuddle your baby in the safest way.

There are ways you can have safe contact with your baby if you have COVID-19:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitiser, especially before touching your baby.
• Wear a disposable surgical mask whenever you're near your baby — wash your hands before putting the mask on and after you remove it.
• Don’t touch the front of the mask when you are wearing it.

Visitors

Avoid having visitors to your home if you have COVID-19. Once you have finished isolating: 

• limit the number of visitors to your home
• ask that any visitors wear a mask 
• try to limit visitors to people who are fully vaccinated

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding helps protect your baby from many different illnesses, including COVID-19. If you are fully vaccinated, you will have passed on some antibodies to your baby before birth and while breastfeeding. This will give your baby some protection.

You can breastfeed your baby if you have COVID-19. While the risk of passing COVID-19 to your baby during breastfeeding is low, your midwife or child health nurse can give you advice about how to continue breastfeeding if you have tested positive for COVID-19.

If you catch COVID-19 while you are breastfeeding, here are some tips you can reduce the chance of passing it on to your baby:

• Wear a mask while breastfeeding your baby.
• Wash your hands frequently and before touching any breastfeeding equipment such as bottles or a breast pump.
• If you sneeze or cough, wash your hands immediately — if you cough or sneeze on your breast, wash the area with soap and water before breastfeeding or expressing milk.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and breastfeeding equipment regularly.
• If you are too unwell to breastfeed, consider expressing your breastmilk and have someone else feed your baby.

Australian Breastfeeding Association Helpline (Opens in new tab) on 1800 686 268 (Opens in new tab) if you need support with breastfeeding.

Can I have a COVID-19 vaccine if I'm breastfeeding?

You can get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you are breastfeeding. The vaccines are safe for both you and your baby.

There is some evidence to suggest that you can pass on antibodies to your baby through your breastmilk. This may offer some protection against COVID-19.

While pregnant, you have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, especially if you have not been vaccinated.

Severe illness from COVID-19 can cause symptoms that may require:

• admission to hospital for treatment
• admission to an intensive care unit (ICU)
• invasive ventilation (breathing life support)

You are also more likely to experience moderate or severe symptoms of COVID-19 if you:

• are over 35 years old
• are living with overweight or obesity
• have high blood pressure (before you were pregnant)
• have type 1 or 2 diabetes (before you were pregnant)

Can COVID-19 during pregnancy affect my baby?

If you are unvaccinated, catching COVID-19 while pregnant can increase the chance of you or your baby having complications. These can include:

• stillbirth
• pre-eclampsia
• having a premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
• your baby needing admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or special care nursery (SCN)

It is very unlikely that you will pass COVID-19 on to your baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding.

There are some simple things you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19 (Opens in new tab) when you are pregnant:

• Catch up with friends and family outdoors or in well-ventilated indoor spaces. 
• Consider wearing a face mask in crowded, indoor places.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
• Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations (Opens in new tab). 

If you have other children, teach them about the importance of good hand and cough hygiene. This includes:

• coughing or sneezing into your sleeve and away from other people
• washing your hands after coughing or sneezing
• putting used tissues in the bin straight away

Getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to help protect yourself from COVID-19. It is the best way to reduce your chance of severe illness and complications for you and your baby.

You can read more about the COVID-19 vaccine (Opens in new tab).

Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I'm pregnant?

Your chances of having severe COVID-19 are reduced if you are vaccinated.

If you have not had a COVID-19 vaccine, you can get vaccinated at any stage during your pregnancy. 

If you have already had a COVID-19 vaccination, you don’t need to get a booster vaccine during pregnancy. You can consider a booster if you choose to or if you are severely immunocompromised.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy may also give your baby some protection against COVID-19 when they are born.

There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccinations increase the chance of:

• miscarriage
• stillbirth
• cause birth differences

Other vaccinations are already given during pregnancy for other illnesses, like: 

• whooping cough
• influenza
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I'm planning a pregnancy?

If you are planning pregnancy, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. You don't need to avoid becoming pregnant after getting vaccinated.

Vaccination does not affect female or male fertility.

If you are worried about COVID-19, speak with your midwife or doctor. They will be able to give you the information and advice you need.

See the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Australian Immunisation Handbook page to learn more about pregnancy, breastfeeding and COVID-19 vaccines (Opens in new tab).

Visit the Australian Breastfeeding Association (Opens in new tab) Website for support with breastfeeding. You can also call on 1800 686 268 (Opens in new tab).

Read more on COVID-19 including testing, isolation, recovery and more (Opens in new tab).

Languages other than English

If you speak a language other than English, you can watch videos from Women’s Health Victoria (Opens in new tab) about COVID-19 vaccines in multiple languages including: 

• Arabic (Opens in new tab)
• Hindi (Opens in new tab)
• Punjabi (Opens in new tab)
• Urdu (Opens in new tab)
• Cantonese (Opens in new tab)
• Mandarin  (Opens in new tab)
• Vietnamese (Opens in new tab)

You can also read COVID-19 vaccine information for pregnancy and breastfeeding in Easy English (Opens in new tab).

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Visit the Australian Government page for information during pregnancy and for parents with babies during COVID-19 (Opens in new tab).