OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) - — Nebraska Medicine is consolidating its labor and delivery services to prepare for an expected surge in COVID-19 patients.
Starting April 4, mothers who were planning to deliver at Bellevue Medical Center will now deliver from the Midtown campus.
Jennifer Janes is just one mom who is being impacted by the change.
She's 34 weeks pregnant and expecting her second child (a daughter) in May.
"Probably like the last couple weeks I would say definitely [I] was like, 'Oh crap, we have to change our whole plan,"' Janes said.
She tells 3 News Now her doctor may have to switch to COVID-19 care, so she could end up with a different doctor for delivery.
"You kind of bond on a personal level with this doctor for the past 8 months so she kind of knows who you are," Janes said. "So walking into a doctor who you don't know, you have to tell your needs all over again and what your wants and needs are so it's kind of hard," she said.
Area hospitals have taken several steps to avoid the spread of Coronavirus.
"Even at my appointments now it's like there's checkpoints at every door," Janes said. "Even driving up to the doctor they're like, 'What are you here for, do you have any of these symptoms, and then it's like a ghost town in the doctor's office."
Janes says being pregnant during the pandemic has presented a number a challenges.
"You just want to get out, you want to breathe fresh air," she said. "You feel, ugh, all the time so it's kind of hard."
Nebraska Medicine's policy only allows one healthy adult per labor and delivery patient.
Janes says she understands the need for all the safety measures, but she feels for all moms-to-be, especially those first-time mothers.
"All those moments that we kind of are missing out on because of this virus. I totally get the precautions and what we should do to stop it. But at the same time for us moms who are going through this it's kind of hard," she said.
For Janes, the key to getting through this time is patience.
"There's nothing you can do, you just gotta ride it out," Janes said.
Nebraska Medicine is trying to help patients like Janes by offering video tours of its labor and delivery unit.
You can learn more about Nebraska Medicine's Labor and Delivery Unit, here.
