Congratulations!

BABY Javier was born on Friday, April 10 and is now safely home but his will always be a special birth having been born during the coronavirus lockdown of 2020.

Despite the strange circumstances, his mother Inma, can sees the positive side. She said: “I had to wear a mask during the operation and my husband was watching through a window, but apart from that it was like my other caesareans. The only other main differences were that the hospital was very calm and when the health staff came into my room to check my blood pressure or change the drip then I had to put a mask on.”

Inma gave birth at the private Casa de Salud Hospital in Valencia. She said: “My husband had to be given an authorisation to leave the room so he could go down to the café and eat. Wearing gloves and face mask obviously.”

She continued: “It’s a real pity that my family haven’t been able to meet the baby yet. And my other two children are still with my sister. Normally the work would be shared between my husband and my mother but as my mother can’t, this time it’s just him.

“On the positive side, the health staff said that the babies cry less, eat better and are less anxious because it’s really calm and people aren’t coming in and out of the rooms all the time.

“I’m grateful for that part, but you feel the solitude. You miss your family and that they can’t meet the new baby but that’s the positive side, you’re much calmer too and the baby notices it.”

Little Javier came into the world weighing a healthy 3.2 kilos (just over 7lb) and is doing well, leaving the hospital after just 72 hours. And like most new-born babies he sleeps well during the day and becomes more active at night. Some things never change, even during a global health pandemic.