Pregnancy Information Norwich/Norfolk
If you are worried about your health or the health of your unborn baby, please contact your midwife or maternity team. They are ready and waiting to answer your questions and care for you đź’ś
www.nhs.uk/
Call your midwife via Medicom – 01603 481222
Call the Delivery Suite Maternity Assessment Unit – 01603 287328 or 01603 287329
We asked some Norwich Mumblers to write down their recent birth story experiences during the Covid-19 lockdown, to help give reassurance to other parents during this time.
Grab a cuppa…and maybe a tissue!
Mumbler Kayley’s Home Birth Story
On 15th April I was 40+1 weeks and went for a sweep at 12.30pm, during which my membranes ruptured. So when I got home I went for a walk, had a nice relaxing bath and at 4pm I had my first contraction. Â My husband started to fill up the birthing pool and check we had everything ready while I rang Medicom and spoke to the loveliest midwife.
At 4.30pm I had my community midwife ring me who I had seen that day for my sweep to check how I was and told me that she would be coming to my birth so just keep her updated. Â Things changed very quickly and at 5.13pm she arrived at my house. Â She got all her equipment in then examined me to see if I could go into the pool. I was 5cm so she gave me the go ahead to get in and she rang the second midwife to come out.
Once I got into the pool I got the urge to push, she encouraged me to see if I could wait for another contraction because of how alert I was during my contractions and still having conversations with her and my husband but I couldn’t and the second midwife who only had a 10min drive didn’t make it in time for my little girls arrival at 5.52pm. My little girl came out so quickly the midwife had to catch her but she was then passed to me straight away for lots of skin to skin.
I opted for the injection to help get my placenta out so that was administered and the second midwife arrived to help check my baby over etc. I then got out of the pool and relaxed on the sofa with my new baby and my husband. Â Midwife stayed to check my little girl, Mya, over and myself, and checked Mya was latching on ok and helped my husband to clear up before leaving.
Mumbler Ana’s Birth Story – Born Before Arrival
I was already entering my third trimester when the talks about the novel Coronavirus were getting more intense. It was the end of January and there were no known cases in the UK, but we were anticipating the virus reaching the UK from anyone travelling abroad, specifically from China. I remember wondering if I should stop taking my 4-year-old to nursery, but I had no where else to take her. My family is all in Portugal.
I’m a nurse working in the Endoscopy unit based at the Quadram Institute in the NNUH. Being mostly an outpatient department, the Bookings office started to ask our patients if they had been travelling abroad prior to the procedure. Staff started talking about it amongst themselves. Being from such a diverse background, someone was always coming or going from somewhere far away.
I was getting worried that eventually the disease would reach our hospital because no one knew for sure its effects in pregnant women. The official information at the time was that we weren’t at a particular high risk, but I was wary. One of my colleagues told me that when she was pregnant, she ended up on a ventilator in intensive care from the ordinary flu because she wasn’t vaccinated. I had been vaccinated for the flu and the whooping cough, but I felt like a sitting duck against COVID-19. A lot of people around me didn’t share my concerns: “That coronavirus is just a distraction”; “I just came from Venice and I’m fine…”.
But my pregnancy wasn’t going well. I was considered at high risk because I have a clotting disorder and the baby had severe Growth Restriction. I was having scans twice a week and regularly seeing my obstetrician. If the baby stopped growing, he would have to be born at any time, by inducing labour or a C-section. They were hoping I would carry until 35 weeks, and no later than 37. Every week was a victory, but I knew I was still going to deliver a very small, premature baby. And I knew he was going to be in NICU for a while. In the middle of a pandemic.
By the beginning of March, I started to become very anxious. I don’t consider my work physically demanding, comparing to the wards, and up to that point I was managing quite well. Even my colleagues kept insisting for me to slow down. But when I was 33 weeks pregnant, something clicked. I was having backache and every little thing triggered Braxton Hicks. Twice I had to go get myself checked because I was worried about the fetal movements. Both times after I was lying on the stretcher with the monitors on, just focusing on my baby, he ended moving again. So, I thought that it was the stress that was affecting the baby.
Something that was stressing me out was childcare. We were relying on a couple of friends to be on standby around the due date, but now the baby was going to be born early and they were visiting their family in Madeira without knowing when to get back because of travelling restrictions. And as if I didn’t have enough to deal with, my daughter got the Chicken Pox! I was annoyed at the horrible timing, but I was being optimistic that by the time her brother was born she would no longer be contagious. I had chicken pox as a child so was not too worried to get it, though it can be extremely dangerous in pregnancy.
When I was 35 weeks pregnant, I asked my GP for a sick note, just to see me trough the last week before my MAT leave. He promptly agreed. He didn’t think it was wise for me to be in that environment. A few days later, on the 14th of March, the first case in the NNUH was confirmed. And the next day, without me realizing, I went into labour.
I spent the entire Sunday trying to pack my hospital bags. I like taking my time and I wasn’t feeling well, so I ended up not doing a lot. At midnight, I woke up with cramping. I spend the next hour coming and going to the toilet thinking it was diarrhoea, but I kept leaking every time I was pushing (sorry TMI) but thought it was just retained urine. Eventually, I started thinking it could be amniotic fluid. I smelt the tissue but wasn’t sure.
I had a lot of contractions but felt just like Braxton Hicks, just closer together and a lot of back ache. “Please I can’t be in labour right now!” I remember thinking. My bags weren’t ready, my daughter Sofia was still infectious, and we had no one to take her. I called Medicom knowing I would have to stay overnight. “Are you sure its not a tummy bug?” they asked. It was around 1 am.
As soon as I hung up I called my husband who was asleep and started getting dressed. But as I as putting my maternity jeans I felt a gush “Great, my water really broke…” I looked down and it was a lot of blood. My heart sunk, I though I was going to deliver a stillbirth. I shouted, “Call 999!” and sat in the toilet trying not to push, as the contractions started getting very intense.
The dispatcher kept me on the phone and asked me the time between contractions, but I was in too much pain, and they were too close together. They asked me to get out of the toilet and “Don’t try to prevent childbirth”. I sat on the bathroom floor hoping the ambulance would make it on time. They were very quick, we only live 10 min away from the hospital, and started cannulating me and checking my Blood Pressure. It was 180/90. “Don’t worry, it’s because you’re anxious, it’s normal”. My mother had eclampsia, so I was very aware of the risk of high blood pressure. I told the EMT: “We have to go now! I’m very high risk, I need an OB!”
I was taken on the stretcher down the stairs when I felt the urge to push. As soon as we got in the ambulance I started to push. The EMT were communicating dispatch the ETA “No, look!” I said, I felt the baby crowning. “Nevermind, we’re delivering here.” I screamed bloody murder and in a few pushes he was out. Born at 2h20 in the ambulance in front of my house.
I didn’t want to open my eyes afraid of what I was going to see, but I the heard a strong cry! He was waving his arms and completely pink, I couldn’t believe my eyes! My poor daughter was behind me in the ambulance hugging my husband that was crying. I immediately started skin to skin because small babies lose heat very quickly and it was a cold night. His temperature was 32.8C.
Reinforcements came to help with the baby and all the checks were ok. When arrived at the hospital several staff members were waiting for us at the entrance and I was taken to the Delivery suite, but Sofia had to stay outside because of the chicken pox. My husband had to take her home by taxi and later drove back to bring me some things I needed, while the midwives were looking after her outside. That was the beginning of a long struggle.
Baby Daniel was born at 34 weeks and weighted only 1.530kg (3lb 6oz) and spent 10 days in NICU and 12 days in Transitional Care. He was doing well but everything around me was starting to collapse.
I was staying in Blakeney ward to stay close and establish breastfeeding and was hoping that in a few more days Sofia would no longer be contagious, and they could visit me. Until then, they were both staying at home and I relied on what the ward would provide.
I was pumping eight times a day, between tube feeding and breastfeeding. That means I would have to go to NICU eight times a day, while trying not to miss meal times and other round in my ward because I had no one to keep an eye on things for me. The other news moms still had their partners, just no other visitors allowed.
On the 18th, Sofia’s blisters were all scabbed over, and we felt it was safe for her to visit me, even though siblings were no longer allowed in NICU. She was thrilled to see her mommy for the first time since labour and my husband went to NICU to visit Daniel for the first time. However, less than an hour later, a Sister informed us the rules changed again and children weren’t allowed in any ward, so she would have to leave. From then on, my husband would only go to NICU while I was wandering the hospital corridors with our 4-year-old, which was far from ideal.
I also got an invitation to attend a weekly workshop that was mandatory for parents to attend at least once before taking the baby home. Because everyone was starting to avoid large gatherings, I thought we would do it straight away. It’s usually attended by all the parents, but that week they were doing just for the NICU parents, and later I learned that there were no more workshops after that.
This was the 19th of March, Father’s Day in Portugal, and my husband managed to find someone to be with Sofia so we could both attend, and he held his son for the first time. Half the session was talking about coronavirus and I missed the lunch trolley. I had a jacket potato they had spare and made sure I ordered my supper before rushing for NICU. However, when I got back in time to eat instead of a meal slip, I found a voucher to take downstairs to the restaurant. It was day 3, when the Baby Blues usually hit, and I broke down in tears. “I’m not going downstairs and bring the virus to my baby! I’d rather starve” The midwife was Spanish and was very comprehensive. She said she was scared too because of her family. At the time, the outbreak in Spain was at its peak.
I thought that once the baby was born things would slowly get easier, but they were getting harder to cope. I spent the days between Blakeney and NICU, discouraged to leave the hospital. I hardly saw any sunlight and was having constant headaches. And I would only see my husband and daughter trough Skype.
On March 22nd, my husband and I decided to go shopping for premature clothes. We would take turns in the car with Sofia.  It was my first time leaving the hospital. I watched really carefully where I was going, so I wouldn’t get too close to anyone and use hand sanitizer before and after touching any hospital doors. There were visitors using hospital gloves in the corridors and I felt like saying something but didn’t want to get near because no one was wearing masks at the time. Walking around with gloves would only spread it everywhere.
I was so happy to finally be outside, but it all seemed so different to me it was eerie. Like that first episode of the walking dead where Rick wakes up from coma and sees the walkers. I was shocked at seeing people wearing scarves and mittens. They would touch everything, and the touch their face to adjust the scarf, looking fearfully around as if everyone else had the virus. With that behaviour, they would be the first to get it! I should be the one worrying getting near them, having to take care of a premature baby…
The next day, March 23rd, was our anniversary, and we had planned for someone to stay with Sofia so we could spend some time together in NICU. But the coronavirus always seemed to find a way to mess with me. My husband called me that afternoon saying that Sofia had a fever of 38.2C and a cough. I immediately thought of the worse and said they needed to self-isolate for 14 days. I was fearful of what that would mean to me because we were together in the car the day before, so informed the NICU nurses and an Infection Control Nurse came to NICU to risk assess me. She decided because I didn’t have much contact, I could carry on going to NICU. If I started to gain symptoms that would change. Luckily, my daughters fever ended up going down. That night Boris Johnson addressed the nation and the lockdown began.
A few of my work friends would come and see me on the way home. They would help with laundry and bring me food and supplies from my home, while maintaining social distance. My unit was closed and would only do emergency procedures and my colleagues were being redeployed to the wards. They ended up caring for positive tested patients and we agreed it was best to stop visiting me altogether, losing my line of communication with my husband.
By that time I was no longer considered a patient because I had been discharged from Blakeney, but I was lucky to get a place in one of the parent’s rooms in NICU, so I wouldn’t have to leave NICU at all. My baby was just a few steps away from my room and I felt we were safe in that little cocoon. All the parents there were careful with hand hygiene. NICU has always been a very clean environment to protect the premature babies even before COVID-19.
But then a baby tested positive from another hospital was brought to NICU and everything turned upside down. NICU turned from a complete green zone to having a segregated yellow zone. The main entrance was diverted and there were only screens separating both areas. Everyone was on the edge, parents and staff. I could see the commotion of the staff looking after the baby in the isolation room.
To make matters worse, one day I saw one of the babies in the room where Daniel was with screens around him and a nurse donning PPE to look after him. We couldn’t believe our eyes. Later I asked the nurse why she was wearing PPE. She couldn’t answer but I found out the baby was a suspected case and was waiting for the test results to come back. Thankfully, he turned out to be negative.
A few days later, I got the news that we were going to be moved to Transitional Care. That meant I was going back to Blakeney, but this time with Daniel and we would be sleeping together for the first time. That was a mix of emotions. At the time Blakeney felt safer than NICU but I was already exhausted and was worried how I would cope looking after a premature baby on my home, doing all the NG feeds and nappies without my husband to support me, while pumping, sterilizing and breastfeeding.
However, most NICU parent had much worse. The pandemic changed the rules once again and NICU was only allowing one parent to visit once a day, for only one hour. As I was packing once again, I could hear some of the mums crying. All the parents in NICU become quite close from spending so much time together in the same boat. I felt dreadful leaving.
Those time felt like torture to me. I was in a 6 bedded baby, with babies, mums and their partners so could be very noisy. My bed was in the corner closer to the nurses’ station, so I didn’t get any natural light, just a bright lamp turned on all day and night and my headaches came back. All the staff started to wear masks as well and had to wear aprons around the bed space.  I met some very nice mums, and that helped the time go by faster. We were all trying to help each other.
Daniel was getting stronger by the day. The only thing keeping him from going home was that the Neonatal Outreach team needed to make sure at least half of his nutrition was oral, because if the NG was pulled during the night, they could only come and put it back the next day. But Daniel was still too small to be breastfeeding effectively and I was eager to take him home. Eventually, I decided to replace the NG tube with bottle feeding. Amazingly, it didn’t interfere with breastfeeding and Daniel was getting closer to be discharged.
Of course, if it wasn’t one thing it was the other and I now it was my husband that had the chicken pox! My husband and I had the vaccine because it was routinely given in Portugal when we were little. But my husband never had it as a child, and it can be serious as adult. And that meant I wouldn’t be able to take Daniel home while his father was infectious. Only me, when everyone was worried about Coronavirus, I was worried about chicken pox…
Luckily, it all turned out all right in the end. My husband quickly recovered and was no longer infectious by the time Daniel was ready for discharge. Only on the day we were going home, Daniel temperature was raised. I was already cursing my bad luck thinking he got the virus but a few hours later he was fine, and we were given the OK to go. I couldn’t believe when I saw myself safe at home, 21 days later.
2 months later, things are still far from easy. My husband works in a supermarket 5 nights a week, so I take care of Daniel and Sofia on my own. He’s allowed to buy groceries when his shift is over, even before the supermarket opens, plus he gets employee discount, so that’s very helpful. The Outreach team would come to weigh the baby wearing PPE, but he now weights 2.620Kg (5lb 13oz) so they’re no longer coming to avoid unnecessary risk of exposure. In the last month, I only left the house twice to go the GP, while wearing a mask. Even if the lockdown was lifted, I don’t think I would have the time to go anywhere!
Mumbler Amber’s Birth Story
Mumbler Aliysa’s Birth Story
I was able to go home the next day.
Mumbler Tessa’s Birth Story – Reuben Phoenix
My experience this time round was amazing and I would tell anyone who was going in to have their baby in the Norfolk and Norwich anytime soon you would not even know that there was covid 19 in the hospital! I was totally put at ease by all the amazing staff.
I would like to thank every single one of them for the hard work they are doing at this particularly hard time!
Thank you to ALL the mummies, not only for sharing their stories, but also for managing to write it all down with a newborn in tow – Superwomen!!! Â Congratulations to all.
If you’d like to submit your own Lockdown Baby Birth Story, send to Katrin HERE.
Also, recently on the Mumbler homepage:
Pathway to Parenting (P2P) for Parents-to-be from Just One Norfolk
About Birth & Babies Antenatal
Buckle Up Parenthood: The Other Mums
Photographing Your Newborn Baby At Home by Jess Wilkins Photography
Making Cloth Nappies Easy with the Norfolk Nappy Company
Introducing Odd Socks! Baby and Children’s wear
Maternity Voices Partnerships want to hear from you!
If you have had a baby in the last two years at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital or a homebirth supported by the community teams, they want to hear about your experience.
Your feedback is vital and is used to inform changes to maternity services across the Norfolk and Norwich patch.
Please take the survey which can be found here-
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