At a glance
If you are pregnant, just had a baby, and/or are breastfeeding, you and your baby have unique needs during infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters such as floods, fires, and storms or other public health emergencies. Planning for how to maintain and protect your health in a public health emergency is a key aspect of preparedness.
You may face challenges during and after public health emergencies, including health risks, difficulties getting the help you need, and unplanned complications:
- Closed or damaged hospitals, providers offices, and birthing centers
- Difficulty accessing essential medications, supplements, birth control, mental health services, or breastfeeding support, and managing existing health issues
- Difficulty contacting your provider or a provider that could resume your care
- Unplanned births at home, outside of hospitals or birthing centers
- Premature births, low birth weight, and risks of losing the baby
- Pregnancy-related health problems and complications after birth
- Exposures to infectious diseases (such as COVID-19, Influenza [flu],norovirus, or hepatitis A)
- Exposures to environmental hazards (such as extreme heat, smoke, water contamination, chemicals, or mold)
- Potential threats from violence that may follow disasters
- Disrupted access to safe water, nutritious foods, food assistance programs, support systems and transportation
You may worry about caring for your children (including infants) due to:
- Concerns about contaminants in breastmilk due to mothers’ exposure to chemicals in flood water or contamination of water supplies and food sources
- Lack of safe water for formula feeding, maintaining mothers’ hydration for breast milk supply, and cleaning of infant feeding supplies
- Lack of electricity causing difficulty refrigerating milk and food and use of electric breast pumps
- Exposures to infectious diseases and environmental contaminants
- Keeping your children warm or cool
- Loss, damage, shortage or safety concerns of essential childcare supplies including safe water, nutritious food, diapers, and formula
- Unsafe shelter conditions including sleeping environment
- Interrupted access to childcare, education, social interactions, healthcare, medications, and medical supplies
Ways to Prepare for an Emergency: Plan Ahead
- If you are pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider to help you make a plan for where you will get prenatal care or deliver your baby if you are unable to deliver your baby as planned.
- Learn how to recognize urgent signs and symptoms during pregnancy and in the year after delivery. Talk with your healthcare provider about steps to take in case of an emergency and what to do if you experience any important warning signs and symptoms that something is wrong with your health and needs immediate attention.
- Stay informed by learning how to receive community emergency alerts, such as texts, to ensure you receive timely information when emergencies happen.
- Know where to shelter or learn where to shelter now in case you need to leave your home. Search for open shelters near you by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362. Example: Shelter 01234.
- Create a family emergency plan for how you and your family will contact one another and what steps you will take in different types of emergency situations.
- Understand the emergency plan for your child’s school and childcare facility.
- Prioritize emotional health and stress management, as well as physical health. Engage in physical activity, rest, stay hydrated, and seek help if feeling overwhelmed or stressed. National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA.
Content Source:
Office of Readiness and Response