Pregnancy can be a lot of things, exciting, terrifying, emotional, gassy - but no matter what, it means taking steps to care for yourself and your offspring. About four days after I found out I was pregnant, there was a tornado warning in my area. While I was taking shelter in the basement with my extremely annoyed cat, I realized I needed to update my emergency plan and kit to be better prepared for this new reality.
In Canada, there are
many hazards that affect people daily. They range from home fires and floods, to wildfires and power outages.
Here are some tips for pregnant people to prepare for disasters or emergencies.
First trimester
Review your
emergency plan and ask yourself if there is anything you feel like you should do differently now that you’re pregnant. For example, in the event of an emergency I am in charge of wrangling the cat into his carrier, do I still feel like that’s the best role for me? Discuss any changes to the plan with your family so everyone knows.
Have a conversation with your healthcare provider about what would happen if you needed to evacuate and how you would continue receiving care. If you are on any medications related to your pregnancy, ask how you would renew a prescription if needed during a disaster or an evacuation order.
Update the items in your
emergency kit to include things like vitamins or supplements recommended by your healthcare provider, and things that are comforting like some extra saltines if you are the nauseous type.
Second trimester
Review your emergency plan again, with your changing shape and potential limits on physical activity is there anything that should be changed?
Update your emergency kit to include things that will help keep you comfortable if you need to leave home, like an extra pillow or clothes to accommodate the changes in your body. Also be sure to account for the extra calories you need in your emergency food supply.
Third trimester
Again, review your emergency plan. Be sure to have a list of medical facilities in the surrounding areas that you may visit if you get evacuated. Include an alternate birth plan in your emergency plan.
If you’re close enough to your due date that you have your hospital bag packed, consider that part of your emergency kit if you need to leave.
Add some clothes to your emergency kit that you could wear postpartum. And don’t forget to include some items for your baby, like diapers, wipes, formula (if you are using it), and clothes.
There wasn’t a tornado in my area that day, but I am glad it got me thinking. A lot is out of your control during a pregnancy, so it helps me rest a bit easier knowing I’ve at least got this covered. Tornado warning or not, pregnancy can be a lot for mental health especially during COVID-19, you can find some resources for being kind to your mind on our
website.
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