Being Pregnant During a Pandemic
It’s been a while since my last blog post. I’ve attempted blogging a few times since high school, which was when I somehow found the time to write on a near-daily basis in between homework assignments and studying for exams. In my twenties I could never maintain a regular schedule with blogging. I always ended up lacking the passion to make the time for it. Clearly a lot has happened in the past year and a bit, and with the combination of being quarantined for the unforeseeable future and being pregnant (hello, maternity leave!), I’m confident I’ll finally be able to write more often. I’ve got all the time in the world now, so I really have no reason not to!
First things first: yes, I’m pregnant! 26 weeks today, and with a baby boy. I haven’t really shared much about my pregnancy with anyone outside of close family and friends up until this point, so here’s a bit of background on our journey. Before we got married, Brentley and I came to an agreement that once we hit our first year wedding anniversary, we’d be comfortable starting that next chapter. Fast forward to four months after our anniversary… I’ve peed on a stick (technically three) confirming my pregnancy! It was one of the happiest days. Overall, the pregnancy’s been quite pleasant. From the beginning, I never experienced any nausea or food aversions. My skin’s been clear and my hair’s just as healthy as ever. I’ve mostly felt like my normal, pre-pregnant self—other than my growing belly, of course!
Near the end of 2019 and at the beginning of 2020, Brentley and I had excitedly started discussing baby-related topics and plans, like what stroller and car seat we should buy, the layout of the nursery, and where our first trip as a family of three would be. The planner in me had already created a baby registry and started adding essential items to it. We bought the first batches of gender-neutral baby clothing, followed by boy-exclusive clothing once we found out his gender. There was even a point when I was planning the baby shower in my head, and window shopping online for a bump-friendly dress to wear for the special occasion.
Going into the new year, we never could have guessed what the next several months were going to look like. But here we are, quarantined and practicing social distance under a looming cloud of uncertainty. Like everyone else, this pandemic has affected us in both big ways and small. We’ve had to cancel our “babymoon” to New Orleans that was booked at the beginning of April. My appointments with our midwives and ultrasounds have been reduced, and Brentley can no longer accompany me to them. We’re not sure if he’s going to be able to see our baby wiggle around or hear his heart beat during a scan again. Our baby shower was scheduled for June, and we’ve recently made the tough decision to cancel and host a virtual shower instead.
What’s been concerning us the most is how this pandemic will affect the delivery of our baby boy. Our preference is to give birth at our local hospital, and currently, women in labour are only allowed one support person with them (in my case that would obviously be Brentley). If the same quarantine rules apply in July, which is when our baby is due, we don’t know when our parents, siblings and best friends will be able to physically meet our baby. This could also mean that Brentley and I will be all on our own, navigating parenthood by ourselves without any extra sets of hands helping with the baby or around our home. I’m not saying it’s impossible, and it’s not like it hasn’t been done. I have no doubt that regardless of the circumstances, we’ll figure everything out (with a bit of remote assistance from our parents and friends). But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t even just a little nerve-wracking to think about.
Our experience in quarantine could definitely be worse. We’ve both been fortunate enough to keep our jobs, which is a huge plus with all the new costs that come with bringing a child into the world. We’re also grateful to have Dougie with us—not only for the extra responsibility and entertainment, but he also gives us an excuse to go out for short walks each day. And we’ve been connecting more with family and friends over group chats and video calls, so being cooped up indoors has never felt too quiet, boring or lonely.
Lately I’ve been seeing posts on my Instagram discover feed from fellow moms-to-be, talking about the unknowns of childbirth during this scary time. Some have also looked at the situation from a different perspective, considering we’d be parents to a special generation of babies who were born during a worldwide pandemic. None of what’s happening is ideal or could have been predicted when we first found out we were having a baby, but like other soon-to-be first-time parents out there, Brentley and I are following the news and guidelines from health officials closely. Our main priority is keeping ourselves safe and healthy for the well-being of our baby.
We can only pray that we’ll be able to transition back to our “normal,” pre-quarantine lives as soon as possible. We want our baby boy to be held and kissed by our loved ones. We want to take him to our favourite restaurants and shops. We want to travel to many new countries with him. We want so many things for our baby—things that were considered normal just weeks ago, and are now suddenly things we can only dream of for the near future. For now, we’ll continue to patiently wait for the day we can all step outside, sans masks, latex gloves and worry. Until then, let’s all stay safe!
