'I was really worried' - mum tells of fear after Covid-19 diagnosis while pregnant

A new mum has spoken of her fear when diagnosed with Covid-19 while pregnant in March.

Danielle Wood, 32, contracted the virus at 32 weeks, and was told by midwives that they could not be sure it would not have an effect on her baby.

Just a few days previously pregnant women had been included on the UK government list of people ‘vulnerable’ to the coronavirus.

“It was a really scary time,” said Ms Wood.

“I felt terrible, I had no energy at all. I wasn’t eating properly and I had already lost weight during the pregnancy. I was just trying to drink lots of water.

“I was really worried, I didn’t want anything to happen to my baby.”

She added: “The midwives were really honest, they said that at that stage they didn’t know what effect it could have on me and the baby.”

Ms Wood woke up with breathing trouble and a loss of taste and smell on March 24.

She initially thought she had the flu, as she had not left the house in the preceding days apart from a trip to Tesco and to deliver some flowers for Mothers’ Day.

When symptoms persisted she called NHS 24.

After waiting on hold for four hours she called a triage nurse instead, and was brought in for a Covid-19 test at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

She was told to go home and rest until the test results came back, which were positive.

Ms Wood was bed-bound for eight days and felt ‘terrible’ for two weeks. She continued to feel the effects of the illness until the birth.

She also had to keep her distance from her husband Iain, 32, and their six-year-old daughter Lola.

“It was really hard on my six year old not being able to cuddle mummy,” she said.

Neither her husband nor Lola contracted the virus.

Baby Luca Lawson Adams was born healthy on May 19, 10 days early.

Ms Wood remained on the ward for a few days and made friends with the other new mothers.

“It could have been a very lonely experience if it wasn’t for the midwives and the other mums I was on the ward with,” she said.

“The midwives said we were the most chatty ward, and the most relaxed.”