What it's really like to give birth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus: what it’s like to give birth during the COVID-19 pandemic

We arrived at 7.15am and were briefed about the day. There was hand sanitiser everywhere and we were asked to put it on.No one really spoke directly about the pandemic, they just said ‘because of how things are at the moment’ when explaining the procedures. They did explain that they had staffing issues so it was harder to plan everything beforehand and they took Benjamin’s temperature throughout to ensure he was safe to be there.

All the staff I dealt with were kind, lovely and professional. I was taken care of and reassured. I had a reasonably calm experience. All the NHS staff we’ve come into contact with during and since the birth were working so hard and trying their best under such difficult circumstances. Then at 7am on 25 March, I woke up with light contractions. By 9.30am they were getting stronger, so we called the midwife. Before coming she asked if any of us had displayed any COVID-19 symptoms, such as a temperature or coughing, which we hadn’t. She arrived about 40 minutes later wearing gloves and armed with lots of anti-bacterial wipes.

Because of the pandemic, we haven’t been able to register Frank’s birth. So technically, his name isn’t official yet but apart from that everything is going well.I’ve already got a 12-year-old and an eight-year-old but when I fell pregnant with my third child, I was classed as high risk because of the fact that my lung collapsed five years ago, leaving me with asthma. I’ve been under the care of a respiratory consultant from Yeovil District Hospital ever since.

The atmosphere was lovely and they genuinely did all they could to ensure that we were safe and happy. Neil was allowed to be with me when our daughter, Violet, was delivered by C-section at 3.18pm. We haven’t been able to have the initial midwife checks in the house and have to weigh Violet in the porch to decrease the risk of catching the virus. The midwives wear protective gear when they come to the house and they have been absolutely amazing. I feel for them immensely.

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