COVID Birth Stories - Jenna and baby Albie
As we in the UK have been plunged into a third lockdown, conversations with expectant Mums have, unsurprisingly, turned to whether or not they themselves will be faced with bringing their little one into the world with restrictions, rules and social distancing.
As an expectant Mum myself, this is a legitimate worry. Whilst none of us ultimately have control over our birth stories, these times give rise to heightened apprehension and additional distress that we could do without.
The thought of potentially giving birth on my own or having my partner be told he has to leave us just a short while after welcoming our child is a million miles away from the beautiful picture I have painted for so long.
It is for these reason that I reached out to new Mums who have experienced giving birth during the pandemic, asking them to share their stories in the hope that it will shed light, dampen anxieties and bring about a welcome relief, demonstrating that yes, we can still have a beautiful birth story, filled with love, security and happiness, despite what is happening outside of our bubble.
Today’s post comes from Jenna who welcomed baby Albie into the world on 4th December 2020. Jenna began her pregnancy in the height of the pandemic and experienced many of the restrictions but after guidance changed her husband was able to attend their 20 week scan and was able to be there for the full duration of Albie’s birth.
Albie Moore, born 4th December 2020.
I found out that I was pregnant at the beginning of April, a few weeks into the first lockdown. Even though we were both very happy, it was a nervy time for my husband and I as Covid was still a fairly new thing and there was a lot still unknown. How would our families react? Would they be worried? Would they think that it was a bad time to be having a baby?
Lockdown came as a blessing in disguise when it came to being able to weather out the sickness and tiredness at home and not have to hide my pregnancy from my work colleagues but, I feel it also robbed us of a ‘normal’ pregnancy experience with hospitals not permitting partners to attend scans or appointments.
When the time came for my 12 week scan, knowing that my husband wouldn’t be with me to see our first glimpse of the little life that we had created was heart-breaking. Showing him the photos of the scan in the hospital car park and telling him about the baby, I almost felt guilty as he had missed out. Luckily, rules changed just before our 20 week appointment and he was able to come with me.
I ended up being a regular visitor to hospital throughout my pregnancy as I required extra growth scans and appointments due to the baby lying breech. Attending appointments/having to make decisions regarding the birth of the baby without my husband being by my side sadly became the norm.
After an unsuccessful ECV procedure (doctors attempted to turn baby from its breech position) we decided that an elective c-section was the safest way forward for us and I was booked in for 11th December (one day before my due date).
Baby Moore had other ideas and my waters broke at home on the afternoon of 4th December. I rang the birthing centre at the hospital and they asked me to come in an hour later to be checked over, cue rushing around to try to finish packing my hospital bag followed by a hot shower to help the contractions that had started more or less immediately. On arriving at the hospital we waited for a room to become available for us (we were very fortunate to be in a hospital that had individual rooms on their birthing suite and so partners were permitted to stay from admission right through until discharge) which was quite stressful as we were concerned that labour was progressing quickly and there could be issues due to baby being breech.
By the time we were seen by the doctors - almost an hour later - I was 5cm dilated and was told that I would need an emergency c -section. Everything happened very quickly from there on and Albie arrived a mere 4 hours after my waters had broken!
During my time in hospital I was made to feel very much at ease and that I was in good hands. The hospital staff took great care of myself and my husband and I can say that, despite not being what we had planned, Albie’s birth was still very much a positive one. Despite the uncertainty and worry that we both had at the beginning of our journey, our birth experience has definitely been one that we will never forget.
*Note that COVID-related guidance has been amended since the beginning of the pandemic. NHS England now appreciates and acknowledges the value that birthing partners offer. In December 2020 NHS England released official documentation stating “it is…our aim, further to a risk assessment, that a woman should have access to support from a person of her choosing at all stages of her maternity journey and that all trusts should facilitate this as quickly as possible”. As a consequence, most hospital trusts are now more able to facilitate birth partners for the full duration of birth.