Pregnant during Covid-19 (2020)

Happy New Year 🎊 (sorry it’s late)!!!! I hope you enjoyed the festive holidays as best as you can ☺️… I certainly enjoyed my baby’s first Christmas 🎄 and New Years Day (which was also my birthday 🥳 !!- First as a mummy 🥰)

Many people have asked me about my experience of being pregnant during the lockdown. Some of my friends have children already and so being pregnant during a pandemic and what that would be like, was foreign to them!

I became pregnant in January 2020 with my first child (no lockdown baby over here! 😝 lol)… Then!!!… Lo and behold… Covid-19 came.

Luckily for me, my Husband was able to follow me to some scans but at this time, our baby was so tiny! 😩♥️

I remember arriving to the Hospital- No message, no letter, no courtesy call to let us know in advance that my Husband could not attend💔. We got to the Hospital and we were told that my Husband could not follow me to my appointment; so, I was ‘forced’ to face the journey on my own…

Days/ months built up of excitement, questions to ask, imagining what our baby will look like on the scan and we were simply told NO Entry!!! My Husband spent the entire appointment (which took hours due to social distancing) waiting for me on his own.

The scan that I was upset that my Husband could not attend of all, was actually the 36 week one; where they were checking if our baby had turned in the position needed for a normal delivery. I was quite anxious.

What upset me most, was finding out that the Hospital was allowing ladies to attend the 12 or 20 weeks scans with a partner, while I had progressed to 36 weeks; and I missed this cut off date.

I did not think that this was fair because I felt that all appointments were important- especially the one when you are hitting your due date!!!! Like really?! 🥴

In addition, I did not think that it was fair for all the pregnant ladies including myself, who had to do the earlier scans on their own; to then not get the opportunity for their partners/ support to attend with them for their final one.

The fact that We had reached a milestone in our marriage that my Husband couldn’t completely engage with, was not nice at all. Even GP appointments, pregnant women were to attend on their own.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally understood the fact that this was to prevent the virus spreading, Covid-19 etc; but I do not think the perspective of pregnant women was taken into consideration when adapting Hospital policies, as a result of the virus.

Pregnant women were identified during this pandemic as being vulnerable yet I do not feel that we were offered the support needed to get through our pregnancies in entirety. When I was pregnant, I think it was easy to be overlooked if I had not been assertive.

As time progressed, I mean, I had no choice but to get used to it however, I spent a lot of my appointments in the waiting area messaging my Husband and other family members (hospital WiFi is sh*t btw!) when I could!

The long and short of it was- I adjusted to what was not the best situation but I did it because that is what I had and needed to do.

One thing that this did take away from though, is my Husband’s experience and our experience together.

My Husband was not able to ask his own questions himself, see our baby turning on the screen at scans; and the Hospitals did not allow recording of this which wasn’t great! When I would try and explain to my Husband what our baby was doing at the scans… it just did not have the same ring to it to be honest!

Overall, I would say because I had a healthy pregnancy it was not the worst and I attended a good Hospital; but my Husband being next to me would have made it way better! 🙏🏾

What I would advise/ suggest that other mothers do as we embark in lockdown 3.0:

⁃ Pray!!!

⁃ Read pregnancy apps and research on questions to ask at appointments (make it you and your partners ‘thing’ to look at your babies development on the apps together)

⁃ Speak to your family/ confidants for emotional support

⁃ Contact the GP and/ or emergency number given by your Midwife no matter how small your concern is; and be assertive (you know your body best!)

⁃ Get your scan pictures for keepsakes

⁃ Book a private scan if you are able to afford it (I booked one for my Husbands birthday and it was super special although our baby didn’t want to show her face properly lol! 🥺♥️)

⁃ Keep up to date with updates at your Hospital regarding their policies/ any changes; and what happens when you give birth

Finally, I would like to wish everyone luck on their pregnancy journey this year. I was happy to hear that the NHS guidelines have now been revised and pregnant ladies in England can have one person with them during their maternity journey- if they are not showing signs of Covid-19 (better late then never ayee?!) 👏🏾

For my ladies who have been pregnant during the virus, what was/ is your experience? What would you advice others!? Xx

With love,

ANJ TALKS ♡