Brittany | June 8, an expectant mother and a hospital worker during COVID 19
“Being pregnant I didn’t have everything on my registry done yet. So, it’s not like I could go to the store and test drive strollers or see things in person for the quality. ”
Today I am introducing you to my sister Brittany. At the time of our interview, June 8, Brittany (who is a hospital pharmacists) was still working at the hospital while seven months pregnant. She shared what it was like for her as an expecting mother and hospital worker, and at the end gives us an update on Ricky and what it has been like to be a new (and hard-working) mother during a global pandemic.
“You have to trust everyone else around you.... no matter how much you’re protecting yourself you can still catch it. And I work in healthcare, so then my whole department could get exposed or Baby G. ”
“We’ve had to learn a few new things... that our hospital being on the small side hadn’t done them...it’s made us better healthcare providers...Kind of cool we get to use an experimental drug... don’t get to use an emergency FDA approved drug very often. ”
“(Expecting a baby) kind of scary. Kind of emotional, lonely.
No one really knows what it does to an unborn baby.”
“I joined a group on Facebook called “pregnant during the pandemic” ... hard to know if you’re doing the right thing. You know? Like, cancelling the in person baby shower. On one hand it’s sad, on one hand I’m protecting older family members.”
update since June by Brittany:
- a rare complication was discovered at my 32 week ultrasound -- I had to go to weekly ultrasound appointments alone for 5 weeks to be monitored, I had a lot of anxiety at the end of my pregnancy
- 3 coworkers tested positive the week before my induction, it was a very stressful -- I worked from home the rest of the week and my COVID test before my induction was negative (phew!)
- Ricky had to go back to the hospital at 4 days old -- I was considered his 1 allowed visitor, even though I had just given birth and literally had no sleep...one of the nurses got approval for Izzy to be his 2nd visitor the next day and now the policy has changed to allow 2 visitors for children
- maternity leave has been fairly lonely...Ricky has only been held by immediate family at 2 months old, some other family "met" him at Grandma and Grandpa's 60th anniversary parade
- now WI is spiking 6 months into the pandemic (most likely due to lack of state-wide recommendations and the fact that mask-wearing has become politicalized) and I go back to work/Ricky starts daycare in 4 weeks :(
