Editor’s Note: One year ago, our worlds changed. The first cases of COVID-19 struck in Atlantic Canada and the governments of P.E.I., Nova Scotia and Newfoundland closed businesses and put safety measures in place to keep people safe, which had a ripple effect on our livelihood and economy. This week, we’ll take a look back at how we lived, loved, worked, played and changed over the past year, and what lessons we’ve learned as we move forward.
Having a baby is usually a cause for celebration. But for many new mothers and their families, COVID-19 has clouded an otherwise happy time with subsequent physical distancing and isolation measures.
Andrea Wheeler says her husband missed out on many key moments during her pregnancy. And when the once-in-a-lifetime experience came - one that is often shared between spouses, even grandparents and siblings - the unthinkable happened.
“It’s been a ‘take it one day at a time’ experience for the past year, with many ups and downs, but I consider myself stronger having been through it.”
“I went into the hospital for my induction alone while my husband sat in the parking lot waiting,” says Wheeler, who gave birth last April at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's, NL.
“I was admitted, which was not expected, and so he went home to wait. I sat in the room alone, this being my first baby, I had no idea what to expect and nobody to hold my hand.”
Wheeler also had to wear a mask 95 per cent of the time, including during the birth, which became an uncomfortable, dizzying experience.
“After birth, my husband was able to stay for four hours. I cried when he left that day. I was exhausted, and had to tend to my newborn alone with minimal help from staff,” she says.
Unable to leave her room for four days, Wheeler had “no interaction besides a nurse popping in every few hours.”
The prospect of not having her husband with her in the delivery room caused a whole new level of stress and anxiety. She looks back on the experience with “great sadness” as something that is best forgotten.
“I always considered myself to be a strong person, but this situation was hard to overcome. My breastfeeding journey ended early due to a lack of support post-birth. I also ended up back in hospital nine days postpartum due to infection and was not followed up.”
Despite the lack of support found at the hospital, Wheeler found friendship and encouragement on social media with other mothers who had been through similar challenges.
“It’s been a ‘take it one day at a time’ experience for the past year, with many ups and downs, but I consider myself stronger having been through it.”
Wheeler notes she is learning to see the silver lining with her son, Cameron.
“He has surpassed everything I ever hoped for, and he is such a happy baby, a great sleeper, and has hit all his milestones. I couldn’t be more in love with him.”
Missing family
Christine Pollard, from Halifax, tries not to tear up when thinking about her family missing out on pivotal moments. She envisioned a homecoming for her third child, with relatives and friends stopping by to dote on the new addition. But her daughter had a quiet welcome to the world, with few ventures beyond her home.
“Our whole family lives in Ontario, and with travel out of the question, we have not had tons of visits from them like we would have previously,” says Pollard, who is building her family's relationship with her daughter through online chats and video calls.
Nora was born at the IWK Health Centre on Dec. 6, almost three weeks before her Christmas Day due date.
“As scary as this birth was, with being alone and in a pandemic, the nurses at the IWK were absolutely amazing, and even took photos for me. In a way, I feel like I have gained so much more bonding time that I didn’t get with my other two children,” she says optimistically.
Pollard faced many challenges during pregnancy, including agonizing over finding open daycares while attending prenatal appointments alone because of COVID-19 restrictions.
“There are all these fears about what the future may hold while adjusting to all of the other normal stresses that come along with having a new baby," she adds. "And I’m starting to get sad, knowing it will probably still be a while before the family gets to meet my daughter.”
Kate Hudson, also from Halifax, says “lack of support” was her biggest issue while attending prenatal appointments.
“My boyfriend was allowed at the first one, and that was it,” says Hudson, who had her second child, Levi Carter Sutherland, on Oct. 23, with a planned cesarean.
“I was extremely nervous during my pregnancy about contracting COVID. No one seemed to know the implications on pregnant women at the time, so I was quite hesitant about going anywhere.”
Hudson says her boyfriend would come home from work, wash his hands, clothes, sanitize his phone, and shower. It became the normal routine.
“And it is weird to think that wearing a mask may be ‘normal’ for this baby,” she adds.
Despite these fears, Hudson says the whole experience was not “horrible” looking back.
“My ultrasound technician helped me get several photos knowing my boyfriend would not be able to come in. My son, Levi, was healthy and exactly the weight (7.5-pounds) the doctors thought he would be. And the C-section went well – no different than it would be pre-COVID."
Pandemic baby boom?
Carla Adams, media relations for Nova Scotia Health, says the province's birth numbers (not including the IWK Health Centre numbers) had little change with the pandemic. In 2019, the number was 3,291, and in 2020, this number went down by 46.
Factoring in the IWK, according to a provincial government release on Dec. 30, 2020, there were 6,856 registered births in Nova Scotia, an overall decrease of 577 babies from the year before.
“It sucks. I cannot go out with my newest baby girl and show her off as she is too fragile for this virus. It does get stressful and lonely, but you get through the days."
In comparison, Newfoundland continues to see births decline, with 3,715 in 2020, down by 178 from the previous year.
Prince Edward Island saw no significant changes, with 1,308 births in 2019 and 1,353 births in 2020.
Majesta Arsenault, from Summerside, P.E.I., is among the new parents on the Island last year. Her daughter Willow was born early, by C-section, on Dec. 29 at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Charlottetown.
“I was having health issues. Her due date was Feb. 8. But my husband and I took it one day at a time, with daily ultrasounds. On Dec. 28, the medical staff decided it was time to deliver for the baby’s health,” explains Arsenault.
“It was difficult at the hospital. My husband could not attend all my appointments and always had to wear his mask for several hours. He could not be in the room with me. We were always questioned about our health.”
Arsenault continues to be afraid of catching the virus.
“It sucks. I cannot go out with my newest baby girl and show her off as she is too fragile for this virus. It does get stressful and lonely, but you get through the days," she says.
But, she chooses to be thankful for her daughter's health.
“At the end of the day, I have a healthy baby girl. She is everything I wished for, just like her three sisters, and we are adjusting as best as we can to this new world.”
