A colorectal surgeon in Atlanta, Erin King-Mullins, is a mom who gave birth in February, shortly before the pandemic happened. She joined the recent chat with TODAY's Sheinelle Jones, where she shared how she copes with parenting during the pandemic. She also explained her inspiration to create "Corona Mamas," to help moms navigate during these trying times.
Had postpartum preeclampsia
Doctors induced King-Mullins, and three days later, she had to undergo a caesarian section since her labor did not progress. Her daughter was at risk because her heart rate went down a few times. The mom was okay until the night before she was about to go home, she was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia. She had to take blood pressure drugs to maintain her health.
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Fear and anxiety from isolation
About three weeks after she gave birth, King-Mullins had visitation plans and support in place. Then her family became completely isolated. She felt fear and anxiety about being isolated. She looked for advice, tips, and tricks online but did not find what she wanted to know.
She first thought of creating a social media account, but what she saw was not about new moms. She found different kinds of moms. She saw that apart from working at home, mothers are also homeschooling their children. For her, all moms have to become Corona Mamas. Since she believed that they have to reinvent themselves. She decided they need a bigger platform, so she created the website.
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Many women experienced birth trauma
After she created Corona Mamas, King-Mullins found that what she experienced is called birth trauma. She saw that more and more women are experiencing birth traumas now that there is a pandemic. Some wear masks while giving birth, while others could not be with their loved ones during delivery. There was a period in New York where they did not allow partners in delivery rooms. It was also one reason that led King-Mullins to create her website.
Being a doctor has made King-Mullins mindful of what she posts on her blog. She feels more credible at giving medical advice because she is a physician. She does not want to share false or unfounded information.
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Black lives are affected by the health crisis
King-Mullins designed Corona Mamas to be a safe place for women going through a social climate due to the pandemic. She noted that there was a lot of racial discrimination that happened due to the health crisis. Recent data by the CDC wrote that Black or African-American people are twice as likely to die of the deadly virus than the whites.
It also showed that there is a big difference in healthcare and Black people. She was already seeing how Black lives got affected by the virus. She noted that parents should talk to their children about people who are different. One of the goals of Corona Mamas is how to parent in our current situation and how to raise the best children.
King-Mullins' advice to mothers is to have self-care. It means that you have to know when you need help and not be afraid to ask for them. Because of the website, she realized that she is not the only one who is struggling in this pandemic. Her biggest advice to moms is to find like-minded or experienced people to help them get through.
