\"All of a sudden that picture just kind of blew up and I started to feel like, wow, I really need to stand up for working pregnant women right now,\" said Poynter. \"Because it is important that I’m here and it is important that other pregnant women who are still working feel like they can still work and not be shamed for that.\"
Poynter posted a second photo of herself at work along with a caption meant to \"clarify how most of us pregnant mommas feel right now.\"
\"There are a lot of reasons pregnant women are still working, but none of us are doing it because we want to put our child in harms way,\" she wrote, in part. \"Praying peace and against all fear in my fellow soon to be mommas.\"
Poynter is an emergency room provider so she did not have an option to move to a different department in the hospital. She said her employer did give her the option to take leave through the Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) or to take unpaid leave, but those options were not viable for Poynter.
\"I did choose to continue working because I can’t afford to take that time off right now,\" she said. \"There are a lot of factors that play into why a lot of pregnant women are still working.\"
Because COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus is new, there are few scientific reports on whether pregnant women are more susceptible than the general population. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does point out though that pregnant women do have weakened immune systems and may be more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19.
Poynter said she has felt healthy and strong throughout her pregnancy and has been working anywhere from two to four or five shifts per week. Her due date is June 9 and she is still deciding when she will stop working, taking into account things like whether she will need to self-isolate for two weeks and whether COVID-19 patients continue to be a presence in the hospital where she works.
Poynter has continued to post photos of herself as she nears her due date and continues to work. She said she felt inspired by the messages she's received from other pregnant women working on the front lines during the pandemic.
\"Just knowing there’s other women out there, even if you are the only person maybe at your hospital or site that’s pregnant and working, it’s comforting to know that other women are in the same boat and feeling the same things that you’re feeling,\" she said. \"Every situation is different and you should never feel ashamed of your choices.\"
What to know about coronavirus:
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