Pregnancy and your risk
There's no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get seriously ill from coronavirus. But pregnant women have been included in the list of people at moderate risk (clinically vulnerable) as a precaution. This is because pregnant women can sometimes be more at risk from viruses like flu. It's not clear if this happens with coronavirus. But because it's a new virus, it's safer to include pregnant women in the moderate-risk group.
It may be possible for you to pass coronavirus to your baby before they are born. But when this has happened, the babies have got better. There's no evidence coronavirus causes miscarriage or affects how your baby develops in pregnancy.
What to do if you're pregnant
If you're pregnant, it's important you:
- wash your hands regularly
- stay at home as much as possible and follow the advice on social distancing such as staying at least 2 meters (3 steps) away from other people
- stay away from anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus
You still need to go to all of your pregnancy (antenatal) scans and appointments unless you're told not to.
Appointments and scans
You'll still have regular appointments and scans while you're pregnant. But there may be some changes.
You may find that:
- you may be asked to wear a mask or gown when you're in a hospital or clinic
- some appointments may be canceled or rescheduled – if an appointment is canceled, it will be rescheduled, or you'll be able to rebook it
This is to help keep everyone safe and stop the spread of coronavirus.