My daughter, Mia, was born on 3rd March 2020. On the 25th March New Zealand moved into lockdown. Mia was barely three weeks old. Prior to this we had had a four day stay in hospital due to weight and feeding issues. We were fresh to parenthood, dealing with an unsettled baby and suddenly we were isolated and alone.
Life in lockdown lasted seven weeks. During that time we had no visitors, aside from my mum who joined our bubble for the last two weeks after we moved to a slightly less restrictive lockdown. My husband worked from home. Doctors visits were via phone (now there’s the option of video), even for Mia when she was unwell. Immunisation booklets were not filled out and the look of horror I was given when I pulled it out at the immunisation appointment! Paediatricians were not considered an “essential worker” so we were forced to ride out most of lockdown with a newborn crying and screaming for hours a day unable to get help. Plunket and other services were available by phone but even then it felt like they were not really available. There were days the only way I could get Mia to sleep was to walk. Some days I would walk for over two hours so she could get the rest she needed and I could get a break from all the crying. Thankfully there was no restriction on how long we could be out doing exercise. Or if there was a restriction I was unaware.
Every so often I would catch a glimpse of lockdown life for friends… posts often involved people thinking they were Jamie Oliver whipping up new baking and meal recipes or the countless hours spent doing puzzles or playing games. I wondered what my lockdown life might have looked like had I not had a newborn baby (and a very unsettled newborn baby at that).
Many parts of the world are still experiencing lockdown. Spare a thought for new parents. Some fathers are not allowed at the hospital following the birth of their baby. Some have to work from home with all the distractions that can bring (although I must say I really enjoyed having my husband home during lockdown but there were some moments it was challenging… like when Mia was screaming and he was on a Zoom call). Some mothers are opting for a home birth because they do not want to risk going to the hospital. Isolation is rife. The isolation of lockdown for anyone can be very challenging. But imagine that experience when you have a newborn baby, unable to have visitors or access the full support you want or need. What can you do to help them feel a little less isolated?
Life in lockdown lasted seven weeks. During that time we had no visitors, aside from my mum who joined our bubble for the last two weeks after we moved to a slightly less restrictive lockdown. My husband worked from home. Doctors visits were via phone (now there’s the option of video), even for Mia when she was unwell. Immunisation booklets were not filled out and the look of horror I was given when I pulled it out at the immunisation appointment! Paediatricians were not considered an “essential worker” so we were forced to ride out most of lockdown with a newborn crying and screaming for hours a day unable to get help. Plunket and other services were available by phone but even then it felt like they were not really available. There were days the only way I could get Mia to sleep was to walk. Some days I would walk for over two hours so she could get the rest she needed and I could get a break from all the crying. Thankfully there was no restriction on how long we could be out doing exercise. Or if there was a restriction I was unaware.
Every so often I would catch a glimpse of lockdown life for friends… posts often involved people thinking they were Jamie Oliver whipping up new baking and meal recipes or the countless hours spent doing puzzles or playing games. I wondered what my lockdown life might have looked like had I not had a newborn baby (and a very unsettled newborn baby at that).
Many parts of the world are still experiencing lockdown. Spare a thought for new parents. Some fathers are not allowed at the hospital following the birth of their baby. Some have to work from home with all the distractions that can bring (although I must say I really enjoyed having my husband home during lockdown but there were some moments it was challenging… like when Mia was screaming and he was on a Zoom call). Some mothers are opting for a home birth because they do not want to risk going to the hospital. Isolation is rife. The isolation of lockdown for anyone can be very challenging. But imagine that experience when you have a newborn baby, unable to have visitors or access the full support you want or need. What can you do to help them feel a little less isolated?