Pregnancy & Emergency Preparedness

If you live in the southeast United States, it's safe to say that you've heard about the imminent threat from a wandering monster of a hurricane named Irma. There's a meme floating around Facebook that says something along the lines of "you know you're a Floridian if you find out a hurricane is now a category 3 or higher and now you have to care." While winging it *might* be a (sometimes misguided) option for some folks, parents of small children and pregnant women should be especially prepared for whatever emergency situations they might face--especially with the hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, and wildfires happening around the United States right now.

Evacuation
Usually evacuation wouldn't be the first thing on the list of things to consider, but this may be on the top of the list for pregnant moms who are especially vulnerable in situations where access to emergency services, basic utilities, or safe travel cannot be guaranteed. For instance, a strong hurricane can produce extremely low barometric pressure, which in turn can produce labor (even prematurely). Being caught in a situation where the baby might be born without access to emergency services, the hospital, or even electricity is certainly not the safest option--especially if there are birth complications. So what is a mom to do if she needs to evacuate for emergency reasons, especially if her due date is looming?

• Get access to your medical records. Most hospitals and care providers now provide remote access to records, virtually. Contact your provider and hospital to find out how to get access so that you can "take" your records with you wherever you go. Some hospitals are now part of a care network--meaning that if you go to another hospital elsewhere within that same network, the providers there would have immediate access to your records (i.e., the Ascension Network that Sacred Heart Hospital is now a member of). Call your hospital to find out if they have network partner facilities and where they are. 
• Plan your destination. Go where you will have the most support if you do go into labor, and find out what your birthing options are where you're going in case labor does start while you're away. Calling facilities ahead and speaking to labor and delivery about your situation will help you get a feel for what it would look like if you walked in laboring without any prior care history there. (If you need help connecting to resources where you're heading, please contact us!)
• Take your hospital bag, and supplies for a baby for 7 days. Packing for your baby seems to ward off the evil emergency spirits--hopefully you'll never need it, just like insurance! (Don't forget the car seat and sleeping arrangements for baby!)
• Make sure that you have all your important documents--ID, birth certificate, social security card, insurance cards, and birth preferences with you to make any prenatal or birth care as seamless as possible.
• Leave ahead of the crowd. Generally, the last 48 hours before a storm or fire requires mandatory evacuations is the worst time to leave. Deciding on evacuation sooner rather than later helps you avoid bumper-to-bumper traffic and reduces your stress levels. If nothing else, it just gives you more relaxation time!

If You Stay...
For some, staying put may be the only option. If you do, consider the following, with the understanding that emergency services and utilities may still be spotty or nonexistent for hours, days, or even weeks after a disaster. Most local government agencies recommend preparing just like you will be on a camping trip in a remote area for at least 72 hours, if not longer.

• Check with your doctor or midwife to see if your birthplace offers a shelter of some kind for pregnant women and their families. One of our local facilities provides this for women who are 36+ weeks pregnant and planning to give birth there.
• Having a well-stocked emergency kit is absolutely necessary. Overstock it if needed. Here is a great kit list!
• Water. Pregnant women need more water than the average joe, so stock up on more water than you ever thought you'd need. The usual recommendation is 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking, 1 gallon per person per day for hygienic needs and cooking. Definitely stock that much if not more! You can fill up your bathtubs and sinks as well and use that water for bathing, or for drinking if you boil it. The waterBoB is fantastic for this! Also consider filling empty milk jugs or soda bottles almost all the way full (leave some room for expansion) and filling all the empty spots in your freezer with them. This will extend how long your freezer remains cold and then the water in the bottles can be drunk when the ice thaws.
• Food. This is somewhat obvious, but considering what to stock is even more important since a lack of electricity may impact how you will be able to prepare food. Having a grill and propane, sterno cans, or simply food that needs no preparation will make life easier.
• Light. Stock up on batteries and flashlights, and consider getting solar powered lights (the garden variety) or solar powered hand-crank lanterns.
• Emergency birth kit. Whether or not you ever need it, having an emergency birth kit could be invaluable in an emergency situation. Emergency birth kits can be purchased at www.preciousarrows.com.
• Supplies for baby. Go ahead and have a few baby supplies on hand--just in case. This would include diapers, wipes, and even some premade formula in the event that baby is born and breastfeeding isn't going well for some reason--you would at least have something to fall back on! And remember that not all water, even bottled, is safe for formula prep, so having premade formula insures that it is sterile.
• Radio. Keeping up to date with the weather when the electricity goes out is imperative. A hand-crank radio is a necessity for this.
• Support. Don't sit a disaster out alone if you can avoid it! No matter who you are, pregnant or not, pairing up to ride out an emergency with someone else can be a literal life saver.

And always remember--don't be scared, just be prepared!!