Among the people whose lives are being turned upside down by the coronavirus are many pregnant women. As new moms prepare for one of the most intense and emotional experiences of their lives, they face the possibility of delivering babies in hospitals filled with COVID-19 patients — and plans they've made for where to give birth and who will be there with them are often now in question. Amongst these new moms is Ashley (@blissfully_buchanan)! She shares her story with us...
“It’s a weird time to be pregnant. My parents can no longer come help us. I have to walk through the length of an entire hospital every week for my appts now (the side door directly to my midwives has been closed off). Everyone going in for anything has to use one entrance. 😷 My “week off” before birth has been cancelled. I had a whole week planned...the kids would be at school/daycare, I’d be off work (home alone all day) and the hubby would take over everything I normally do at home. It was a week for me to pamper myself and relax before delivery. Of course now we are all social distancing together. That time alone was self care I needed before bringing another life into my world. Hospitals across the country are modifying labor and delivery policies in efforts to keep moms and newborns safe. Some mothers are being forced to labor alone. Fathers are missing the birth of their children. My hospital has gone back and forth on enforcing this. As it stands now...after I deliver my husband will have to go home and check on our other children. The hospital won’t allow him back in. I wouldn’t see him again until discharge. I’m doing my best to stay positive. As much as this virus is altering our lives in ways that are undesirable, it’s managed to bring us some joy. The irony. We get to spend so much more time together since work and school is all at 🏡 home. Shiloh tries to stay 2 steps behind his dad and it’s the cutest thing to watch all day.
Waking up with my kids every morning is SO much more enjoyable when I don’t have to pack several bags and rush out of the house. There is no racing against the clock. Shiloh wakes me up with the loudest, SPITTY kisses and I love it. Saige dances around the house all day when she’s not doing school work. I have more free time to play card games and sit down to watch tv with her. Usually I’d be way too exhausted after work for either. Although I’ll miss out on the type of me time I wanted, the extra slow paced time with my family has been beautiful. I’m more than ready to meet Willow and introduce her to this crazy thing called life 💕 And that is my ONE long caption for 2020. 😌”