A Sudbury mom who recently gave birth at Health Sciences North said she was so nervous about having a baby in a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic that she almost opted for a home birth instead.
But Tracy Baker said hospital staff “really nailed it for making me feel comfortable” when she gave birth to daughter Joni early Easter Sunday morning.
Pandemic or no pandemic, babies are still going to be born, so we thought we'd speak to a local mom who had recently given birth to see what the experience was like.
“I was so freaked out, honestly, I was considering a home birth, because I know my home is good,” said Baker, who also has a three-year-old son, Wolfe, with husband Josh Turnbull.
“But at the same time, epidurals are better, so I decided 'I'm going to the freaking hospital.'”
Health Sciences North said in a written statement it is especially focused on the safety of new mothers and babies amid the pandemic.
The birthing centre already has stringent guidelines around patient safety that our staff follow, the statement said.
“Patients will mainly notice the change in visitor restrictions, which means labouring mothers will only be permitted one support person,” said the statement.
“Both the labouring mother and support person will be screened for COVID symptoms upon entry to HSN and all appropriate protective measures will be put in place.
“There is enhanced screening for all of our staff, midwives and physicians each time they enter HSN. Staff in the birthing centre are also following all guidelines around wearing proper PPE.
“We would also like to remind expectant moms and their support person to follow social distancing prior to and after baby is born.”
Baker, a client of Sudbury Community Midwives, said before the pandemic hit, her husband and son were able to accompany her to appointments, and little Wolfe was able to listen to the baby's heartbeat.
All of that changed last month — most of her appointments were conducted over the phone, and when she did have to go into the clinic, she went alone.
When she went into labour on the Saturday night before Easter, Baker said she “expected there to be this strange dystopian feel that we've been having everywhere we go” at Health Sciences North.
While there were some differences from when she gave birth to Wolfe nearly four years ago — including being screened for illness at the door — Baker said hospital staff were “very kind and welcoming.”
One of the biggest changes she noticed was the increased use of personal protective equipment during the birth.
“The only thing that reminded me during labour that I was in this time period was the fact that everyone had a mask on,” Baker said.
“Things were a little bit more sanitized I felt between everything. Lots of glove changing. They really made it still feel like this totally lovely experience.”
Baker especially gives props to her midwife, who was by her side along with husband Josh the whole time.
“I felt for my midwife, though, because of the amount of work she has to do is so much extra, keeping everything super tidy, super safe and sanitized and everything,” she said.
While Baker stayed in the hospital for 24 hours after the birth of Wolfe, she was sent home just three hours after Joni's birth.
She said she's heard horror stories about birthing in the time of COVID-19 on a Facebook moms group she belongs to, and she's glad nothing like that happened to her.
One mother in the United States said she had to labour without her husband because he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Now she and Josh are hunkering down at home with their little ones, getting used to life as the parents of two.
Sadly, though, it's without family support, although she is receiving help from Sudbury Community Midwives.
Not only were they unable to have other family members at HSN during the birth, physical distancing means their parents can't visit now that Joni is here.
“Having the window visit through the door, it looks all cute online, but it's actually so sad,” she said.
“It's like I really want you to come in and play with my toddler so I can sleep. I don't even know if they're going to get to hold her until she's like six months old. Everything is so up in the air.”
