Pregnancy & Covid-19

Pregnancy works a little different during a pandemic and for those that are unaware of the new protocols and procedures put in place during one, I thought I would give you an insight of at least my experience. So let’s dive into the complications and rules that surround a pandemic pregnancy. 

Let’s talk scans. Now usually you would be able to bring a partner or a loved one to a scan, no problem. Sometimes you may even be able to bring the sibling of your child too and let them watch their unborn little brother/sister round around inside your tummy, a truly beautiful thing to see. But during a pandemic scans don’t work as smoothly as they once did. In my experience this is how they worked. When I entered the building I had to go to the waiting room on my own and was given a 2 minute window to be able to call my partner upstairs and direct him to the room to see the un-born baby. Unfortunately you can not even see your partners reaction nor can they see yours as blue masks covers your mouth and half of your face. 

The sonographer’s make sure to wear their masks too and where they used to give you a picture of your little bundle of joy, you now have to snap a photo on your camera to keep the scan of your baby. The moment that used to be much more exciting and the little keep sake you used to take now gone due to Covid. Now you have to rely on technology to keep your pictures safe and the memories that lay inside your head to stay put of the first moments you saw your baby. 

Now if you thought the scans were bad, it’s even worse when you have an emergency and have to visit the MAU (maternity assessment unit) due to complications. In my case I had severe dehydration after suffering from HG (hyperemesis gravidarum) throughout my pregnancy, not something I’d wish on any pregnant women, and unfortunately not something widely spoken about until you are diagnosed with it. Which meant I was put on a drip for several hours, but whilst I had this in my arm and was hooked up to the machine my partner waiting patiently for hours. But the problem is.. he wasn’t next to me, no instead he was banished to the waiting room and ordered to keep his mask on whilst we texted each other during the duration of my stay. A Covid swab tickled the back of my tonsils and made its way in my nose to test for the virus in case my illness happened to keep me in overnight.  So alone I stayed and then went home at 4am due to them not wanting me to stay overnight because of the lack of beds and the fact that home, even in my condition, was safer than a hospital in that moment. 

My next visit to the hospital was much worse, a five day stay alone and not able to see my other child hit me to the core. Midwife’s unable to give you answers as you lay there and hope your babies okay. The doctors swept of their feet with other mothers battling the virus and other illnesses on your ward, keeping their schedules tight and little time to explain to you what’s going on with your situation. A rough time indeed to only sit there and be alone with your thoughts whilst you wait for answers. Someone only being allowed in if you happen to find yourself in pre-term labour to be your only line of support. 

You may feel as though the birth was better, but it really was not. I had a planned C-section luckily that went to plan, but if I hadn’t I don’t know what I would have done. Because with my hospital at least you were only allowed 1 visitor and that visitor had to stay with you and if not, then no one else could take their place. So I spent the upcoming weeks of the birth of my child planning who would stay with me, the best option for their lives, mine and who I thought could support me through the birth. Even then after preparing I was filled with guilt of who I hadn’t picked, wondering how many people I upset by not choosing them to be with me in this wonderful experience. 

The birth was smooth, a masked worn the whole time on the operating table made things a little uncomfortable, especially when the anesthetiser makes you feel rather sick after taking it. Around the wards wherever you go you have to buzz in and out to make sure only the people are authorised to be in the ward are in there. Masked shielded everyone’s faces, patients, doctors, midwife’s.. everyone. Luckily your baby isn’t usually phased by the masks, in fact I don’t think any pandemic baby really is due to the virus. The whole things sort of become a normality and what they will know going forth I guess. 

In terms of meeting people, my baby met my partner 2 days after she was actually born as he wasn’t able to attend the birth. Then family and friends the following days, all making sure to be free from the virus. Because as much as we’re usually worried about illnesses, I’ve noticed you tend to introduce your child to less people when there’s a pandemic going on. You’re more wary of coughs and splutters that come from peoples mouths. The needs for people to wash their hands intensifies more as they request to hold your precious little gem in their arms. 

The fear even noted by your health visitors as they monitor your anxiety with a close eye, wondering if you’re being overly cautious with your baby. They wear masks as they do all the tests necessary after birth on you and your baby. Shorter visits than before the pandemic began and less checks to make sure everything’s okay. Instead if you’d like to check you’ll have to arrange to go to them at their place of work, little home visits. 

The whole experience was very different to my eldest child’s birth/pregnancy. But I guess it just goes to show how quickly things can change. So for all the pandemic mothers that find it very daunting, I sympathise with you and know somewhat of what you may be going through. My best advice would be try to enjoy it as much as you possibly can and know that you are not alone during this process, maybe reach out to other mothers that may be going through the same thing and that can share their experiences with you. I found the app Peanut quite helpful for that. 

Keep smashing it mums and dads, you got this 😊