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Photo by Tiffanyleigh Photography
LOCAL MOMS SHARE THEIR TIPS FOR EXPECTING AND DELIVERING A BABY DURING A PANDEMIC Congratulations, you are expecting and… we are in the middle of a pandemic! Many expecting parents never thought they would hear those two phrases together, but as the pandemic has been around for a little over a year, more and more parents are finding that delivering a new baby into the world amid such chaos is what they have to plan for. As this is new territory for many of us, who better to share tips on how to handle a pregnancy and birth during a pandemic than moms who went through it first hand.
Caroline Chance Earls with husband Ryan Mom to 2 children
Big sister Cora and baby Nathan born February 2021 Had son at North Florida Regional Medical Center
Be proactive and intentional about your support system. Being pregnant and postpartum can be isolating and challenging enough, let alone in a pandemic. Some of the ways I built my mom tribe last time were unavailable in the same ways, like prenatal yoga and postpartum moms luncheons. So I needed to be much more intentional and proactive about creating a support network. For me that included apps like Marco Polo so I could have more regular contact with my mom friends, and could reach out to acquaintances that I knew were also pregnant. Say Yes when your family and friends want to do nice things for you. I was initially resistant to a virtual baby shower because it felt awkward and I feel like everyone had so much going on. But it was truly so special to feel supported and loved in this bizarre time. Because I said “yes” (after some gentle pushing from my friends), I have a meal train of friends and family bringing food postpartum, gifts that made the transition easier as we became a family of four, balloons, flowers and cookies delivered the day we got home from the hospital and a virtual check in with my loved ones. Have the hard conversations about the virus. Get clear with your partner about what you are comfortable with in terms of who meets the baby, when, and what it looks like. Are you more comfortable if only vaccinated people hold the baby, or are you requiring masks? Are you only going to do outside meetings or not letting anyone hold the little one for a certain amount of time? Or would we feel so excited for grandma
Doctor’s appointments look different, as at my care facility, partners can only come to ultrasounds but not the actual meeting with the doctor. to hold the baby, however it looks. Whatever you decide, it feels important to be on the same page with your partner and then communicate this to your loved ones. Expect things to look a little different and adjust expectations. Ask your providers how prenatal and postal care and delivery will differ from the norm. This is especially true if you’ve had a previous baby. Doctor’s appointments look different, as at my care facility, partners can only come to ultrasounds but not the actual meeting with the doctor. For a friend, her facility had a lot of telehealth visits. At our hospital, only one person was allowed during the whole stay with no switching out. So no other visitors during our three-day hospital stay. Knowing what to expect was helpful in adjusting our vision. Ask for help. Being pregnant and postpartum is hard. One in seven women and one in ten men experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. And this statistic is not during a global pandemic, which is associated with higher rates of adverse mental health conditions. Ask for and seek help and support. Whether this looks like individual, couples or group therapy, someone to hold your colic baby, or help to clean up your house - ask for help. GIGGLEMAGAZINE.COM | APRIL/MAY 2021
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