CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman had to take drastic measures when she found out she was positive for COVID-19 while nine months pregnant.
Julie Harris’ positive COVID-19 result ended up changing her plans, but thankfully at Broward Health Coral Springs, there was a way for family members to be present for the delivery, while not actually being in the room.
New parents Julie and Jordan beamed as they left the hospital, Friday morning, with their little boy, Jordan Patrick (JP) in tow.
The newborn came into the world happy and healthy, just not as planned.
“Our original plan was to have both my mom, my sister and Jordan’s mom be there for the delivery,” said Julie.
Julie had a pretty smooth pregnancy, but everything changed in December when COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in the community.
“We ended up contracting the virus on Christmas Day, like a lot of families, and I had already started isolating because I saw the spike in numbers and was nervous, and it was exactly what I did not want,” said Julie, “but thankfully, our symptoms were very mild.”
“With omicron, the recommendation is still the same for COVID,” said Dr. Heather Gabai-Hernandez with Broward Health. “After 39 weeks, we can decide to electively induce patients. If we balance that, the benefits outweigh the risks of keeping them pregnant.”
Because of COVID, family members couldn’t be in the delivery room, but they weren’t too far.
They were able to see little JP arrive through a window of Julie’s first-floor suite.
“It made me feel so much better. I mean, having them be able to be in there and like, hold my hands, hold my knees, would have been much better and preferred, but just knowing that they were there and cheering me on and encouraging me almost like they were in the room, since I at least had them on speaker, I kind of felt like they were in the room,” said Julie.
“At any given time the moms can open the blinds and then the families outside of the windows can catch a glimpse of the baby,” said Melissa Leamon with Broward Health.
The Harris family was thankful for that and is ready to enjoy a new chapter with their first baby.
“Probably feed and have the family come over and start to enjoy being our little family of three,” said Julie.
Julie and JP are doing well and the newborn tested negative for COVID-19.
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