Giving Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Bonnie’s Story

Bonnie gave birth in late April 2020, here she shares her experience of staying at Jessie McPherson Private Hospital and giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bonnie, a Monash Health Theatre Nurse and Mum to toddler Jed, had no doubts about booking in to Jessie McPherson Private Hospital for her second pregnancy with Beau, under the care of Obstetrician Dr Shavi Fernando.

Bonnie and Tom with Baby Beau

Pregnancy

In 2018 Bonnie experienced complications with her first pregnancy, including high blood pressure and preeclampsia. Bonnie and husband Tom welcomed Jed at 38 weeks weighing 2.51kgs. Bonnie recovered from preeclampsia and placental complications including a postpartum haemorrhage. With Bonnie well-cared for by the Jessie postnatal team and Jed on a strict feeding schedule, the new family of three were soon home.

Not long after Jed’s 1st birthday Bonnie and Tom discovered they were expecting again, with a new baby due in May 2020.

Bonnie and Tom had no doubts about booking in to Jessie McPherson under the care of Dr Shavi Fernando for a second time.

During her second pregnancy Bonnie once again experienced high blood pressure. Closely monitored under the care of Dr Fernando, the pregnancy went smoothly and any complications were expertly managed.

On choosing Dr Fernando for her pregnancy care Bonnie says “I knew Shavi by reputation, [at Monash Health] he is well respected for the way he treats staff and generally behaves and conducts himself. I felt very well cared for by Shavi during both pregnancies and the complications I experienced were extremely well managed.”

With an induction of birth at 38 weeks Beau was welcomed into a somewhat altered world on ANZAC Day, Saturday 25 April 2020, weighing 3.4kgs.

Beau

COVID-19

By March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic was having an impact on the lives of Australians, with restrictions and social distancing rules being imposed nationally.

Like many pregnant women, Bonnie experienced some variations to the usual pregnancy care, this included restrictions around attending scans and calling upon arrival for appointments.

“My antenatal appointments were impacted, I had to go on my own to scans, and call from the carpark to announce my arrival.”

As a healthcare professional Bonnie did have an insight into the pandemic, “I worked up until 36 weeks [early April], working in a hospital during this time meant I knew what was going on behind the scenes with pandemic planning. So although the changes to appointments and precautions around social distancing felt very strange I completely understood it was for our safety.”

Bonnie went on to say that like the majority of people she was a little anxious, and wanted to isolate and protect her family.

If you’re feeling anxious and worried about your own health and that of your family, you’re not alone. It’s understandable to be concerned in such uncertain times. One thing we know about anxiety is that we can reduce it by being proactive. This can help us feel prepared and more at ease. We have included further information about managing anxiety around COVID-19 at the end of this article.

Choosing Jessie

When discussing why Bonnie booked in at Jessie McPherson for her births, Bonnie explained how it came down to the high level of care.

“As a nurse I understand the importance of having access to NICU, theatre and anaesthetics 24/7. At Jessie you have access to all this but with the benefits of a private stay. It really does make a difference to the level of care and especially peace of mind. I could have chosen to go to a private hospital closer to home but to me the level of care made it an obvious choice.”

Jessie McPherson Maternity Unit

Birth Experience & Postnatal Care

Whilst discussing her birthing experience during the COVID-19 pandemic Bonnie made some interesting comparisons to her first stay.

When talking about her time in the birth suite Bonnie explained that “Whilst the PPE [personal protective equipment] precautions may be confronting for some, it meant less traffic in and out of the room, which resulted in the birth suite being quiet, peaceful and calm. I still had a beautiful birth, with no impact from COVID-19. It’s clear that to all the staff, you are their priority, not the pandemic.”

On her postnatal stay at the Jessie McPherson Maternity Unit “I felt extremely well cared for and enjoyed the uninterrupted attention of the midwives due to the visitor restrictions. Whilst my care was excellent the first time, I found that this time as the staff didn’t have to work around visitors I spent more time asking questions and talking to the midwives. For me, this really added to the level of care I received.”

On the visitor restrictions in place Bonnie said “Whilst disappointed about Jed not being able to meet his brother, I loved the quality one-on-one time I had with Beau. We completely understand why the restrictions are in place and found that it did make us feel safer, like being in a protected bubble from the outside world.”

And then there were four

At Home

We checked in with Bonnie, Tom, Jed and Beau to see how they are all settling in at home.

“We’ve settled in really well at home. It’s different to the first time around with Jed, I was very busy and probably did a little too much. This time we are loving the forced slowdown, it’s allowing me to recover, and soak it all up and really enjoy this early newborn phase.”

When asked if she had any advice for expectant mums preparing to give birth during the pandemic, Bonnie said “Although it can be difficult that visitors are not allowed, facetime is still a very good option, and the no visitors actually added to my stay. And whilst the world may feel like a crazy place at the moment, I felt very safe in the hands of the team at Jessie. Thank you to Shavi and the wonderful midwives for their amazing care of all of us.”

Bonnie sent through these lovely photos of her two boys, big brother Jed still adjusting to life as a big brother to little Beau.

Baby Beau and Big Brother Jed

Bonnie and her babies on Mother’s Day 2020

Congratulations to Bonnie and Tom and thank you for sharing your story with us.