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Giving birth in these days, how the virus affects the most overwhelming experience after giving birth.

Johnnythecat profile image
14 Replies

Hello there🤗, hope you are all safe and not having a hard time stressing out regarding the whole situation these days🙏.

I'm 34+5 and starting to feel anxious about, not just giving birth but, on how to feel relaxed and enjoying the baby after, without knowing if I or my husband can transmit the virus to the baby(even though we don't have any symptom). I think without being tested we can't be sure we're not able to transmit the virus. Can anyone of you please share your experiences after giving birth now.

I'm trying to be as much relaxed as I can, but honestly is not that easy. Ok being self isolated is fine to protect ourselves and others but at least we should be tested to be able to take care af the new born without fear.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance for your time.

Take care of yourselves. xxx

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Johnnythecat profile image
Johnnythecat
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14 Replies
Shisha1 profile image
Shisha1

Hiya hope your well. I gave birth to my daughter 5 weeks ago when the hospitals went into lockdown and I can totally understand how you feel. My labour ddnt go to plan due to the outbreak but the staff went above and beyond to make me feel secure and my husband was also there with me when i went to the labour suite. He was not allowed in the triage ward with me. It was nice to enjoy time on the ward with the other mums and our babies and forget about what was going on on the outside world.

I am isolating at my mums and feel the same about her health and my familys but all you can do is follow the precautions of staying at home , washing your hands, ensuring all babys bottles are sterilised properly and enjoy your baby . If you have both being isolating then you will be fine . Try to limit trips out the house by ordering food online etc if you can. I still get paranoid now and then and its hard being a first time mum and you cant meet family or friends. Im lucky i am living with family just now but it is a very worrying time.

They also constantly check your temperature during labour which is also reassuring. I hope by time your little one arrives we are past the worst of this.

Good luck and take care.

Shisha1 profile image
Shisha1 in reply to Shisha1

I also check my little ones not got a temperature and wash her face a lot am so paranoid. I also breastfeed which reassures me as she is receiving immunity and antibodies from me. It is horrible that sometimes i feel like i cant enjoy her but i also feel blessed to have some light in my life during this. Get plenty of rest now as the lack of sleep and anxiety of the virus are not good for your pregnancy or post partum recovery.

Johnnythecat profile image
Johnnythecat in reply to Shisha1

Thank you Shisha1 for sharing your experience with me🤗, hope you and your daughter are doing well in every stage that she's going through. Babies grown up so quickly so try to enjoy her as much as you can obviously.

Your respond is so reassuring and again I thank you for your time.

I'm trying my best to remain calm positive and careful as well. Hopping for the best🙏🤞

Take care xx

Shisha1 profile image
Shisha1 in reply to Johnnythecat

You are welcome, I am enjoying every milestone they do grow really fast so its very important to try and enjoy every minute. You will miss your bump and being pregnant too once baby is born. All we can do is make it as positive as possible and om the plus side they get to have their daddies around longer which is special.

Johnnythecat profile image
Johnnythecat in reply to Shisha1

Totally agree with you. Glad to hear that you are enjoying it😍😍. Daddies obviously are doing a great job too on supporting and helping during this time, but obviously getting to know better the little ones and having a good time too (expect for the hard time at the beginning).

I'm cuddling my bumb even more because everyone says that I'm going to miss this sensation so trying to enjoy it as much as i can 🥰

🤗🤗🥰🥰

Shisha1 profile image
Shisha1 in reply to Johnnythecat

Yeah my husband is just as exhausted as me lol I dont know how he would have got up for work with her being up all night 😅.

JasmayTara profile image
JasmayTara

I know you will have given birth by now, and congrats!!! I'd just like to share my experience for anyone that comes across this post!

I gave Birth 5 days ago (July 12th), I was induced, which, despite the potential to last a long time, only took a little over 12 hours until my waters were breakable.

However, as a person who has suffered with mental health in the past, going into this experience alone was nerve racking, and I was supposed to be getting extra support.

However, what happened, was I sat in an Inducement ward for 17 hours alone in awful pain, getting no sleep, was moved to a delivery ward, where my partner was allowed in, but throughout this time, I was on pain relief so quite loopy, and don't remember much. I had quite a difficult birth, with nothing going to 'plan' (didn't have a plan, just all wasn't ideal), sat with my partner for a couple of hours with our new born, and then was taken to the post delivery ward, so my partner then had to go home.

Due to having to be numbed via epidural, I had no feeling in my legs, however, my baby was placed in a cot that I couldn't reach, so couldn't lift him in and out to feed and cuddle.

I felt like they rushed to discharge me, and as a result of this, I was not prepared for what was to come at all, and have suffered massively as a result of this.

I'm sorry to be so negative, but I wanted to tell the truth for other mums giving birth during this time. Just be mindful that the hospital time without your partner is difficult, and to prepare yourself for this, and as much as you may want to get home to your loved ones asap, please do not allow yourself to be rushed out of the hospital if there's anything you feel uncomfortable about.

Johnnythecat profile image
Johnnythecat in reply to JasmayTara

Oh JasmsyTara, congrats to you too🎊 hope you'll have a great recovering time from now one. Hope the newborn is ok too🤞. You've been through a lot🥺.

You're right though I gave birth 7weeks ago, and my experience was pretty much rough too. I was induced just like you, because my water broke up but no contractions.

I really wanted a natural birth but I ended up to be monitored, and for me it was really frustrating but i was determined not to have the epidural (knowing the side effects) but the pain was unbelievable and I'm surprised how I copped that pain , any way at the end they were about to do the c section (after all I've been through 🙄 having c section was the last thing I wanted) but we avoided it because the baby was coming out and it was pulled out by using forceps, they performed epistomy and I had tears 4rth degree😢. My midwife was terrible, I was in shock, they removed the baby so I was scared about him but fortunately he was OK.

It was morning when I gave birth, and they wanted to discharge us in the afternoon witch was insane for me, I was extremely tired scared so i ask to stay at least one night and I came home the next day.

I was scared about the virus but in those circumstances I didn't even had to think about the covid19 in the hospital.

With no one to help us my husband had to do almost anything to help me afterwards. I recovered very quickly the baby is so adorable growing up so quickly, I'm breastfeeding him witch is extremely a beautiful experience (very very painful the first two weeks) and it takes a lot of time so embarrassing the caos is the new mood. Ask for help if you can (now people can visit each other) you need to recover as much as you can.

I really wish you all the best.

Thanks for sharing. This chat is extremely helpful, we are not alone on this journey. Take care of yourself and your baby🤗🤗

JasmayTara profile image
JasmayTara in reply to Johnnythecat

Hi, thank you! My little one is such a cutie!

I am starting to recover very well, but due to having no antenatal classes/support ended up struggling with breast feeding, Alfie and I struggled to get along with it, ended up plummeting quickly into PP depression. But luckily my midwife is remarkably attentive and caught this at my 5 day appointment, so I am on my way to the proper care.

As a result I've had to end breast feeding abruptly, and move on to bottle feeding. This scares me with Coronavirus, as he won't be getting my antibodies, but I'm hoping the 5 days I lasted will have provided him with the goodness he really initially needed!

Shopper85 profile image
Shopper85 in reply to JasmayTara

You can Pump and express breast milk & Feed via bottle that way baby is getting the anti bodies

JasmayTara profile image
JasmayTara in reply to Shopper85

Hiya, this was a while ago now but thank you 😊

Unfortunately pumping wasn't an option for me sadly or I would have done that, I had to start bottle feeding on day 5 and dry my milk up as quickly as I can 😔 he's a happy healthy and thriving 8 and a half month old now though 😊

Shopper85 profile image
Shopper85 in reply to JasmayTara

Ah sorry only came across it today- that's great to hear I am pumping and formula feeding this baby growing and thriving too

Tgum profile image
Tgum

Hi, my baby was born on the 15th April about 5 weeks into lockdown and at the peak of the virus (I'm in the UK) and I was so worried. My husband is a key worker aswell. Things have relaxed a lot since then. My husband was only allowed to stay for the active birth and 1 hour after although I only just made it into hospital. I was very lucky to have been discharged 5 hours after giving birth but had I needed to have stayed in he would have only been able to visit between 3 and 4 each day. Now I believe visiting is normal although I don't about the birth. Normal protocol (at least in my area) now is if you are admitted or planned to be admitted then the hospital test you for COVID.

Three months on my only advice is to be extra vigilant with hand washing and the amount of people coming into contact with you and your baby. It's perfectly possible now to meet outside at a comfortable distance to introduce your little one and perfectly reasonable to deny friends and family cuddles. Only close family have cuddled my 3 month old. If you are worried but want grandparents to cuddle LO you could ask them to wear a face mask.

Finally, you still have 5 weeks to go. A lot can change between now and then. Relax and enjoy the peace! Xx

Tgum profile image
Tgum

Just seen this is an old post 🤦‍♀️

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