Preparing for the epidural was a nerve racking experience as it was my first
EMMA Pender started her maternity leave at the start of March, and six days later the schools shut.
‘I had loads planned, I was going to get some baby bits that week, then lock-down happened.’
She and her husband Dara Sweeney also had two older boys at home, Ben and Adam. ‘It was lovely having everyone at home, but tough trying to do home schooling,’ she said.
‘It was easy though in the sense that I didn’t have to do the school run or make lunches.’
Trying to entertain the boys was also a challenge throughout the day.
‘I was only a few weeks away from giving birth and stressed out about that,’ said Emma. ‘Because the baby was breach, it was more than likely going to be a section, which I hadn’t had before. So I would have been anxious anyway, with or without lockdown.
‘We didn’t know who would mind the kids when I was having the baby, whether by section or if I went into labour, if I had to go in the middle of the night.’
A friend who had been ‘on call’ for that very reason, was potentially ruled out, as someone in her workplace had tested positive for Covid-19. Grandparents were also out of the question as they were cocooning.
Emma’s brother John and his partner are self-employed so said that they would be available any time, including the day of the scheduled surgery.
Emma, Dara and their family went into self-quarantine a bit earlier than everyone else. ‘We didn’t know what effect the virus might have on an unborn or newborn baby,’ said Emma. ‘Before other people were keeping their kids in, we were keeping the lads in, which was tough on the two boys.’
It was when St Patrick’s Day parades were called off that they thought they should really limit themselves.
‘I had done a shop on March 12 and from that point on it was deliveries only.’
That was a strange shopping trip, with shelves emptying at an alarming rate. ‘I dropped the kids off at school and was in the supermarket at 9.30 in the morning. The place was like a circus.’
Because she had gestational diabetes, Emma was concerned that she might not be able to get
the food she needed.
‘I bought so much protein,’ she said, her strict diet being low on carbohydrates and high on protein. ‘I was worried about getting the food I needed to eat to keep the baby well.’
There was no pasta, handwash, toilet roll, tinned tomatoes, or even baby formula. ‘I was planning on breast feeding but you never know how that will go, so I needed to have some just in case.’
Aside from all that, Emma was concerned for her parents, they being over 70. They also live in Newtown, so travel restrictions prohibited her from seeing them for an extended period. Her brother was able to do their shopping and see them during lockdown.
Then it was time for little Charlie to make his way into the world.
The section was booked for April 1, then moved to April 2, so Emma was relieved her son wouldn’t be celebrating birthdays on April Fools Day forever more.
He still hadn’t turned, so the procedure was all set. ‘I was concerned,’ said Emma. ‘We had been quarantining, and my brother had too, but he had been out in the world doing shopping. But we didn’t have a choice.’
She sent her brother a screenshot of her appointment to show the gardaí if he had any difficulty travelling from Rathnew to Bray to mind the children.
Dara dropped Emma at the door at Holles Street that morning and went off to park. ‘It’s a completely different experience,’ she said. ‘You’re there on your own with your suitcase.’
She was instructed to sanitise her hands at the door, where her details were taken, and she was sent to admission where there was more hand washing and forms to fill out. ‘I didn’t really mind being by myself as it wasn’t my first child,’ said Emma.
She was extremely nervous about the epidural, something she hadn’t had before.
She was scanned and the baby was still breach. If he had turned, Emma would have been sent home.
Having fasted from the previous night, she was also dreaming about having something nice to eat. ‘I’d been on this stupid diet for 10 weeks!’
Meanwhile, she was staying in touch by text with Dara, who was waiting in the car, They expected to be ready for her by 11 or so.
‘I went up to the theatre at 11. I had to wear a mask and couldn’t get it on I was shaking so much with nerves.’
The team in the room all introduced themselves and helped her feel at ease. One of the anaesthetists in particular chatted to her to help her take her mind of the epidural. ‘It was completely fine in the end,’ she said.
‘ They were really supportive and nice,’ said Emma. ‘ They made sure I knew exactly what to expect.
‘I looked to my right and Dara was coming through, fully gowned, which was such a different experience to when the others were born.’
Charlie then made his appearance. Emma and Dara hadn’t found out the gender of the baby. ‘ They said congratulations, it’s another boy and I started laughing. They showed him to me over the screen and took him away to make sure he was okay then brought him back.
‘It was so weird having him
on my chest, not able to hold him.’
Dara was allowed to stay for about an hour, and was asked to leave as she was being wheeled back to the ward.
‘I did feel sorry for him. He didn’t get to spend all the time he wanted with us and had to go. I was fine, by baby number three I knew I’d be fine on my own with the baby.’ While people normally have their partners with them to help out, this wasn’t the case, and Emma had been through surgery to deliver her son. ‘ The midwives were absolutely fantastic, they did everything,’ said Emma. ‘ They were just so, so good.’
She enjoyed the time spent in hospital with Charlie. ‘I missed the other two boys but it was nice to be able to bond and have that time.
‘My stay in hospital in a public ward was actually really restful.’ She was glad to get home though, and have the whole family back together.
Nobody was allowed into the house for some time, and Charlie’s four grandparents had to wait to meet the new arrival.
The lovely happy and healthy baby is now five months old, and was delighted to see his big brothers off to school last week.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT GETTING THE FOOD I NEEDED TO EAT TO KEEP THE BABY WELL