Pregnancy is hard, and pregnancy during a pandemic is even harder. Appointments canceled, virtual doctor's visits instead of in-person care, Dad can't come to ultrasounds, cancelled baby shower events, no pre-baby vacations, understanding the horrors of how COVID-19 might affect your birth plan.
Paying Attention to our Mental Health in this Unsettling Time
Mommies, it's okay to grieve not having a "normal pregnancy experience" and it's okay to be sad despite it feeling like "first world problems". I sure was ready to live my first pregnancy experience to the fullest, but at about 6 weeks pregnant, the pandemic hit the US. It went from having a ton of fun plans for celebrating our miracle baby to quarantining for what seems like an eternity. Needless to say, it was nothing like I expected.
Ultrasounds are an Important Experience for New Dads
The hardest part for me is not having my husband at the appointments. He is not able to see baby and watch her grow and move around. Ultrasounds are an important experience for new dads who might feel disconnected from the pregnancy experience. All I can do is hope the doctor will let me call or live video call him, and thus far not all doctors have allowed me to do that. It's such a sad experience in that respect, but nonetheless we're thankful baby girl is healthy and developmentally on track. Luckily, we've found comfort in hearing all of the amazing mommy-to-be stories from women like yourselves and launching a socially-conscience brand of t-shirts, Mommy Tees, designed to celebrate pregnancy and motherhood. The creation of Mommy Tees has been a very welcoming distraction for us. Our Tees are inspired by the people, stories, and world around us. Each item sold helps to support initiatives around the elimination of racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality. Ultimately this has been therapeutic for me.
Mommies, in your opinion, what's the most difficult part about being pregnant OR raising little ones in a pandemic?
We love you, and you will get through this
