BABY JACK’S STORY

It’s sad that people can’t cuddle him yet, but he is bringing us so much happiness

Baby Jack is eight weeks old – and absolutely thriving.

“I don’t know whether it’s a product of lockdown or not, but he’s just a superhappy baby,” mum Sarah Ballantyne said.

“It hasn’t been a great year for a lot of people, but Jack has made it a special one for us.

“We’ve certainly had something positive to focus our attention on.”

The week Scotland plunged into lockdown was the same week Sarah found out she was expecting.

“It wasn’t ideal,” she said. “It was still early days and nobody knew what was going to happen.

“But we were optimistic and assumed it was just a shortlived thing and would have blown over by the time the baby arrived.

“My mind was busy thinking about baby showers. I didn’t think for a minute that we would still be in lockdown a year down the line.” Events manager Sarah and partner John Bell were a little nervous, and, as time moved on, started to become anxious about the birth.

“It turned out I had a big baby, so I was having growth scans every couple of weeks,” Sarah, 33, said.

“John wasn’t allowed to come to the appointments so I had to make important decisions on my own. “There were conversations about complications like shoulder dysplasia, a difficult delivery… it was quite overwhelming not having John there.”

Sarah opted to have a C-section, largely because it guaranteed John would be with her when the baby arrived, as opposed to only being called last minute for a natural labour.

Happily, everything went smoothly and baby Jack arrived on December 10, weighing 8lb 4oz. The first few weeks back at the couple’s flat in Dennistoun, Glasgow were hard.

“I lost my mum eight years ago so my girlfriends had big plans to pop in every day and help me with the baby after the section – but of course, nobody was allowed to come,” Sarah said.

“And there was very little post-natal support either. We felt completely on our own. It was a case of a lot of Googling or downloading apps on our phones to learn about things.” Sarah has been focusing on the positives and using the time with Jack to bond and get into a routine.

“We haven’t been able to go to classes so Jack hasn’t met other babies and I haven’t had that peer support and all the hints and tips you pick up from other mums.

“But Jack doesn’t seem to mind. I don’t want him to miss out, so every day, we have sensory class, read stories and do tummy time.

“And he’s coming on in leaps and bounds. While there have been some negatives, the plus point is that I get to spend real quality time with him while I’m on maternity leave.” Sadly, at two months old, Jack has yet to meet many members of his family.

“We were thankful that it was Christmas a few weeks after he was born and we were able to spend the day with family,” Sarah said. “That was a real blessing.

“But since then, we have been back to not seeing anyone. It is so sad knowing there are people who want to cuddle him, but they can’t. “I worry that by the time some people get to meet my baby, he won’t be a baby anymore. But at the moment, he’s bringing us so much joy and that’s the best we can ask for.”

Sarah added: “I am terrified about the future. I worry that not interacting with other people might turn Jack into a clingy baby… and what will happen when it’s time for him to start nursery?

“But thankfully that’s not for a while yet and hopefully things will be back to normal by then.”