Tag Archives: COVID-19

You’re Pregnant During a Pandemic, Now What?

I found out I was expecting in late December 2020. I was thrilled and also terrified. Not because of normal expecting worries, but about a whole new slew of worries associated with Covid. After three different appointments with my OBGYN, endless research, feedback from friends, family and other doctors I decided to get the vaccine after my first trimester at 14 weeks. Terrified and relieved, I cried on my way home from both inoculations. I had my husband drive me both times, fearful of side effects. Thankfully, I felt well, I think fear was making me sick. After the first shot my arm was sore and I felt a bit tired, but I’m tired a lot because I’m pregnant, so it’s hard to differentiate. After the second dose, my doctor recommended I hold ice on my arm 10 minutes before my shot. I did, and felt fine till 12 hours later. From hours 12-24 I had some arm soreness and a mild headache, which felt like if a bee was buzzing near my head the whole time (weird description I know).

According to a recently published article from CNN, research from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology supports that both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are effective in pregnant and lactating women, who can then pass protective antibodies to newborns.

“Nearly all the moms were getting a pretty decent level of antibodies to their babies,” said Alter, who added that additional research is needed to understand how long those protective antibodies last in newborns.

What exciting and relieving news for expectant mothers during the pandemic! For a full article around this topic, visit the GTM website.

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted on-demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!

Can Nannies & Sitters That Work in a Family’s Home Get the Vaccine in NY?

A message from our Payroll & Household Employment Expert, GTM Payroll Services Inc.

“It seems legislation is being passed where this may change, but as for now, our HR advisor is stating that nannies are not official childcare workers for this particular item. The definition is just not firm enough for us to put nannies in a group that is mainly supposed to be (for lack of a better term) ‘official and registered caregivers.’”

BFC’s thought is that you can try to get the vaccine with an employment verification letter and see if you are eligible. We can provide a letter stating that you were referred by our agency as a fully-vetted childcare provider and work in a BFC family home as a regular childcare provider. Your employer (the family) could also provide a letter.

Another option would be for a nanny or sitter to call the Department of Health (DOH) to ask for a vaccine priority. It is certainly possible that they will get it. Anyone applying for vaccinations will also need to fill out a form for the DOH.

That being said, we can’t officially advise that nannies and sitters are included in the first couple of vaccine rollouts that favor licensed caregivers. We will be alerting our childcare providers with any new updates as we receive them.

Please visit our resource page for the latest information on COVID-19.

Looking to hire a babysitter or nanny? Bell Family Company provides fully vetted on-demand babysitting, including full and part time nannies, baby nurses, temporary care, help with virtual learning, and more! Learn why BFC is the best childcare agency, with childcare providers available across the U.S. (on-demand service available in the tri-state area). Contact us today to hire!