Live-in grandmother is a lifeline after twins’ birth
FOR mother-of-three Chloe Hindmarsh and her partner, Neil Gouldson, having the support of family has been even more vital during the months that the nation has faced the coronavirus crisis.
The couple welcomed twins into the world on the Jessop Wing at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, in Sheffield, on May 6.
And having the family support from grandmother Elizabeth Hindmarsh has been a lifeline during challenging times.
The 72-year-old has lived permanently with the couple and five-year-old grandson Freddie for a year in Malin Bridge, and during the lockdown restrictions has been able to provide much needed support.
Speaking to The Yorkshire Post,
Miss Hindmarsh said: “We’re not entirely sure how we would have coped without her, to be honest.”
During the birth of Serafina and Linus by a Caesarian operation, Mr Gouldson, 40, was allowed to be present only during the “active labour” and to spend two hours after with them before they were separated.
He returned to hospital two days later to take his family home with him.
“It felt very strange, because you were just waiting for that phone call to say I could come back in,” Mr Gouldson said.
Miss Hindmarsh, a lecturer in teacher education at Sheffield Hallam University, added: “He really felt he was missing out. He just wanted to be there to support me for the whole time.
“For me, from very early on I bonded with other mums in the same position who were on my ward. We were all in the same boat.
“No-one had any visitors, so we didn’t draw our curtains and chatted to each other”.
The new pressure that the arrival of two babies has brought on the couple’s finances is a real concern for the young family.
Miss Hindmarsh, 36, who is also a trustee for Ruskin Mill Trust, is on maternity leave while self-employed Mr Gouldston, who owns Kelham Arcade-based record shop Black Beacon Sound, has been unable to qualify for the Government’s furlough scheme.
Despite taking the mortgage payment holiday, which has allowed the couple to stop their monthly payments for up to three months, there are concerns for the future.
Miss Hindmarsh said: “I’m worried as my partner isn’t working so it is an income that we have lost.
“We’ve taken advantage of the mortgage holiday for three months so that has helped. We do worry about what that will increase to in the future.”
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Institute for Health Visitors have both expressed concern about the health needs of babies which might be going unnoticed during lockdown.
To combat this, Miss Hindmarsh said she had embraced technology including telephone calls from her breast-feeding support worker and a Whatsapp call from her health visitor. She has also “heavily relied” on online support groups, including the South Yorkshire Multiple Births Association (SYMBA) and the national Twins Trust organisation.
Despite the challenges during the period of uncertainty, including family members not yet having been introduced to the twins, Miss Hindmarsh said she had been given the opportunity to create a “special bond”.