Let me start by saying that not all birth experiences are the same so this is definitely not set in stone or a bible. It was just my personal experience. I understand how anxious you must be if you are due to give birth during this COVID pandemic. A COVID birth isn’t as scary as you think.
Prenatal appointments
These were not exciting as I was the only one allowed to attend appointments and scans. It all felt soo lonely. I remember sitting in the waiting room for my prenatal appointment one day and looking around the room. There were about four of us waiting and you could see how sad and lonely we all looked. Even with the masks on, you could see the sadness in the eyes of the women sitting there.
Tip: You can try recording the experience to share with your partner or for your own sanity. You can also ask your midwife if ok to record the appointment, some of the midwives don’t mind. As long as their faces are not recorded. Others might be a bit weary, if they say no, don’t be offended as you might not feel comfortable either if someone wanted to record you while doing your job.
Labour
With Mayah, when we got to the hospital and I was only two centimetres dilated, I was allowed to walk around the hospital including up and down the stairs, this helped to speed up the contractions. With Judah, this wasn’t the case as when the contractions started to slow down, I wasn’t allowed to leave the room. They said this was because of Covid so I ended up walking round in circles in the labour room to try to speed up the contractions. It didn’t work, I ended up wearing myself out.
Tip: remember to pack some snacks to give you energy. I had some nice bueno chocolate and they went a long way. If you are not allergic, nuts like peanuts and almonds make good snacks.
Connection
With the other two children, it was easy to relate with the midwives as they were smiling, holding my hands, having a laugh, etc. I remember with Jeremiah I was holding the midwife’s hand and shouting “Sparta”, every time the contraction came. We all laughed about it and it just made the whole experience fun and quick. But this time around, they all had masks on so even if they were smiling, it was difficult to tell. We were also not allowed to hold hands. That relaxed, friendly atmosphere wasn’t there. The whole ambience was strange.
Staffing
You could tell they were understaffed. Everything was rushed, other mothers on the delivery ward I stayed in had similar experiences. You could hear them telling their loved ones the same thing. The midwives seemed stressed and stretched. At one point, we even heard arguments between the delivery ward staff and the paediatric NCU staff.
Cleanliness/ PPE
The hospital gave me a mask when I couldn’t find mine. But they had to go look for one which was odd. So I ended up using the same disposable mask throughout the time I was there which sort of defeats the whole purpose of wearing a mask, I think.
Everything was extra clean. They had wipes in place, wiped after every use. They were extra cautious. Even in the labour room, at first I was asked to wear my mask but when things got serious, I took it off. After birth, I had to put it back on. They made John wear his all the time.
Visitors
We weren’t allowed visitors. Only partners were allowed (and I think for those who didn’t have partners around, one family member was allowed). You werent allowed to switch or change visitors. Only the same person was allowed.
In summary, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience compared to the previous two (even without taking into account the complications I Had). However, still having Judah in our arms and being able to leave the hospital Halle and hearty was a blessing. Not everyone had the same privilege so we are grateful.
Lessons Learnt:
Always be grateful, things won’t always work out as planned. Make most of your situation and move on – stay positive.