Tales from the COVID baby bubble
A mid the uncertainty gripping the world in March 2020, Bianca Haythorpe and husband Shane were “over the moon”, celebrating the early stages of her pregnancy. Then fear of COVID-19 crept into their bubble of joy, accompanied by the feelings of concern, frustration and isolation that became the reality for thousands of expectant women. “I had suffered previous miscarriages, so I was worried about catching it,” recalls 29-year-old Bianca. “There wasn’t much known about it or the effects on pregnant women.”
When Melbourne went into its first lockdown and the parents-to-be arrived excited for their first scan, Shane was turned away at the door. “I feel like Shane didn’t get to experience any of it, and it impacted him. He wasn’t prepared for fatherhood,” Bianca adds.
Hannah Dahlen is a professor of midwifery in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She has been surveying women for the study Birthing in a Time of COVID-19, and says the research shows that being unable to attend appointments, such as scans, has been upsetting for women and their partners.
“Ultrasounds are important for bonding,” she insists. “For partners it is often the first time they say, ‘Oh my goodness, there is a fully formed baby in there’.”
The study, which involved a team of international researchers, surveyed more than 5000 women between August and December 2020. All were pregnant or gave birth
