Lid on pandemic pregnancies
‘Heavy price’ paid for lockdown popularity
on January 6.
She has been married to her husband, Dave, a 29-year-old software engineer, for five years and they also have a four-yearold daughter, Autumn.
The 29-year-old said: “This pregnancy was a lot more stressful because I couldn’t see my mum.
“Sometimes you need a hug from your mum and I couldn’t have that.
“I was very worried about the virus and I took the decision to go to as few places as possible. “I couldn’t go to any prenatal classes, I didn’t go anywhere. It was very different.
“There were fewer appointments this time round but it may have been due to this being my second baby.
“Dave was allowed in with me when I gave birth but my family have only seen Reuben from a distance.
“My mum said she can’t believe she’s missed out on newborn hugs forever and it almost made me burst into tears.
“The main difference I’ve found between my first and second born in regards to Covid-19 is there has been a lot less support and mums have been left to wing it.
“It’s a good thing this was my second pregnancy because I would’ve felt completely lost if it was my first.” Unfortunately, Antonia Thompson, didn’t have the prior experience like Laura.
The 25-year-old gave birth to her first born, Elsie-Rose Kent, on July 7, weighing 5lb 14oz. She found the experience very stressful, saying: “I wasn’t allowed anyone in the hospital
with me when I had the baby scans and found out Elsie-Rose’s gender.
“It was a massive thing for me because my partner couldn’t be there through those special stages.
“Being pregnant in the first lockdown was horrible because I was so isolated.
“I wasn’t allowed anyone in the birthing suite until she was about to come out.
“That was really difficult because me and my partner don’t live together, so he wasn’t allowed in at all, only my mum was. He wasn’t present at her birth and he had to wait until we were discharged to meet his daughter. It was horrible. “I was looking out of the birth centre window and I could see him in the car park but the windows were darkened.
“I was trying to hold the baby up to the window so he could see her but he couldn’t see me.” The nursing assistant added: “I left the hospital sooner than I should have. “I was discharged within four hours, but because I was there without him, I wanted to leave and be with my partner.
“My mum was with me but she could only stay for four hours which is why I left when she did. “Trying to talk to nurses with masks on was really hard. It was all muffled and I was confused. “At two weeks old,
Elsie-Rose
got a really bad cold and had respiratory problems.
“We went to hospital and they tested her for Covid, which was the most awful thing I’ve ever experienced.
“Thankfully, her test came back negative and she just had a really bad cold because she was so small.
“I’m very protective of her because of Covid.
“I know children aren’t getting it as bad but there is still that risk.”
The NHS has confirmed that although children can get the virus, they get it less often than adults and it’s usually less serious.
Lucy Giles also had her child during the first lockdown.
The 21-year-old gave birth to Elise on May 2. The tot weighed in at 7lb 12oz.
Lucy said: “Being pregnant through Covid was quite scary.
“I didn’t find out I was pregnant until February and then we went into lockdown in March.
“Because of that I had no support
intermsof
prenatal classes.
“I was really scared about the thought of catching Covid. “Most of the hospital staff were in PPE. One of the midwives was exempt from wearing a mask but that was actually quite nice because I could see a smiling face. I was in labour for three days and in hospital for six days.”
The bartender said: “It was very lonely in hospital.
“When I was waiting to go into the delivery suite, I was on my own, in pain with no idea what was going on.
“I had to stay in hospital as I had a high temperature after labour.
“They thought I had an infection so I had to stay and have antibiotics.
“My partner at the time was allowed in the delivery room but after they finished the paperwork he had to leave and I was alone for the three days.
“The midwives were lovely but I wish I had someone to hand the baby to so I could sleep. I didn’t sleep for three days.”
There’s no evidence that pregnant women are more likely to get seriously ill from coronavirus.
But they have been included in the list of people at moderate risk as a precaution.
Ursula Marsh, director of midwifery and gynaecology for East Kent Hospitals, which runs the Kent and Canterbury, QEQM and William Harvey, says it has been a difficult time for staff and patients alike.
She said: “As with the rest of the NHS, we have had to make some changes to ensure the safety of all our women, babies and our staff.
“We recognise that every person has individual needs and may need an altered plan.” Pharmacists have also talked about how they’ve been affected by the pandemic.
Aaron Jangra, 48, of Merlin Pharmacy in Chatham, said: “There hasn’t been a change in contraception sales since the first lockdown.
“However, pregnancy test sales have gone up and I have seen an increase in pregnant women. “I think there may have been an increase because people are at home, and now more in contact with the people they live with.”
Pharmacists at Headcorn Pharmacy say they are also selling lots of pregnancy tests. However, this isn’t the case elsewhere in the county. Krunal Vyas, manager at Sheppey Community Hospital pharmacy, said: “Pregnancy test sales have actually decreased since the first lockdown last spring.
“However, there has been an increase in contraception and morning-after pill sales.”
The 43-year-old added: “We have seen a major increase in the use of the contraceptive pill. “I’ve seen a fall in expectant mothers since the first lockdown.
“It was very different last year, but since December there has definitely been a fall in pregnancies.”
Being pregnant in the first lockdown was horrible because I was so isolated.
The Aylesford footpath collapse near Forstal Road industrial estate. Top Cllr Ian Chittenden and bottom Trudy Dean both spoke of the strain on park and footpath use
Calls to put £1million towards repairing unsafe walking routes in Kent have been rejected by council chiefs.
Kent County Council’s (KCC) Conservative administration voted against the proposal to plough extra cash into fixing “urgent” safety problems with footpaths in the 12 districts and the county’s nine country parks. It comes as people continue to be encouraged to walk outdoors for fitness and mental health wellbeing during the pandemic. There has been a major increase in walking in the countryside which has resulted in some routes “deteriorating” and becoming dangerous, according to KCC’s Liberal Democrat group.
They called for additional financial support during a virtual meeting of County Hall’s £1.1billion budget vote last week, as a 5% council tax rise was agreed from April. Maidstone county councillor Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem), main opposition environment spokesman, said the condition of footpaths were getting “progressively worse” in the County Town and becoming more “costly” to fix.
A section of an Aylesford path near the industrial estate off Forstal Road, close to Junction 6 of the M20, partially collapsed 11 months ago.
It has been forecast that it will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to fully repair. The path is due to be mended in the Spring and is on a priority list. At the meeting, Cllr Chittenden added: “I feel we are doing a disservice to the residents of Kent. I worry there will be accidents and it is us who are to blame.”
Also warning of the dangers, Cllr Ida Linfield (Lib Dem) said she broke her knee walking on a footpath opposite her house recently.
The Canterbury City South member tripped over a tree root and said ‘something should be done.’
Kent’s nine country parks have been described as a “lifeline” for families during lockdown, with “astonishing” visitor numbers in the last 11 months, increasing by around 60%.
Cllr Trudy Dean (Lib Dem), whose nearest site is the 52-acre Manor Park Country Park, in St Leonards Street, West Malling, said: “People are climbing over fences to avoid the mud and floods.
“The parks have become a victim of their own success.”
The Lib Dems suggested using unallocated cash from KCC’s £140m government grant for the Covid emergency this current financial year to spend on urgent repairs.
In response, County Hall Conservative executives revealed ‘a modest sum’ of £150,000 had already been allocated to help maintain the public rights of way network for the next financial year.
At least 54 Conservatives voted against the £1m uplift while 13 Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green councillors voted in favour, meaning the motion was defeated.