The babies of isolation

New parents adapt to life under lockdown from before birth to homecoming and beyond.

HENRY Mann was born just under two weeks before COVID-19 restrictions bit down.

He spent the first days of his young life in hospital as doctors and nurses sought to find the cause of a suspected infection spreading through his tiny body.

By the time his mum Julia and dad Travis Wardlaw were able to get him home, friends and family got to spend a few days short with him before visits became off limits.

Since then, Julia and Henry have been locked away in isolation, while Travis works on the frontline of the pandemic.

“It’s been really hard,” Julia said. “Because Travis is an essential worker and had to go back to work, it’s been really lonely.

“It’s pretty lonely for a mum anyway getting up in the middle of the night but when that carries though to the day and you haven’t got anyone there to take the baby for a while, or reassure you you’re doing the right thing, or just be able to talk to somebody else, is really hard.

“I just wish we could share this with the people that have been with us along our IVF journey and supported us though all of that. Now they don’t get to share in the end result which is hard.”

Apart from not being able to share the joy of their new arrival, Travis and Julia have been unable to call on the support of family and friends that many new parents can turn to.

However, like everyone else they are coping and finding ways to adjust to life under preventative insolation and lockdown, sometimes.

“I think it’s getting easier. Travis is now coming home from work for lunch, which breaks up the day and is really helpful.

“I talk to my sister and my mum, we do face time stuff, and we watch a lot of TV.

“But it really depends on Henry. If he has a good day then I feel like I can cope, if not then I cry,” Julia said with a laugh.”

While it’s challenging for Julia, the new mum is quick to acknowledge it could be a lot worse.

Travis was there for the birth of their son, and while it was, limited, family and friends did get some time with Henry before lockdown kicked in.

“There are women that are still pregnant and facing having their babies with little support in the hospital and no visitors,” Julia said.

“There are women that are still going through IVF and having their procedures and cycles cancelled.

“It’s a reminder that it was lucky we got in before it all started and how lucky we are that we got Henry at all.”

Since government enforced restrictions began, about 120 babies have been born at Ballarat Health Service’s maternity unit.

In preparation for potential COVID-19 impacts, staff have been upskilling on personal protective equipment use and access to the hospital and maternity ward have been limited.

While procedural changes include the number of non-clinicians allowed in the suite during child birth and for subsequent visits – it’s been reduced to one, a partner or support person – having a baby has always been more than just giving birth.

“It’s more to do with presentations to the hospital and clinic,” said Carolyn Robertson, operations director, Women’s and Children’s Services at BHS.

“There are a lot of things being done over the phone or by telehealth. Some of clinic visits have been completely changed to that environment. However, anybody that needs to attend for any medical reason, we’re still encouraging them to attend.

“The good thing about pregnant women is they usually read a lot of things, and they’ve been very pleased with the fact we’re only having them attend for the necessary things.

“We’ve got lots of procedures in place to make sure peoples’ experiences are as enjoyable and positive as possible, as child birth should be.”

Ms Robertson’s said the charges are being handled differently by different mums but there’s a noticeable increase in patients wishing to be discharged early.

With processes adjusting to the current situation, staff and patients are being flexible as the situation requires with follow-up often being done over the phone if suitable.

“That’s especially for women who have already had a baby, they’re receiving more phone calls and less visits than they normally would,” Ms Robertson said.

“Women are wanting to go home a little bit earlier than they perhaps normally would, which we did expect would happen and we’re pleased that’s happening.”

While the maternity unit provides discharge and follow up care, looking at how to prepare new mums with guidance on what it’s going to be in lockdown is something Ms Robertson said there was scope to do more on.