The Power of Support During a Pandemic Pregnancy
Being pregnant in a pandemic has been a blessing and a curse. Working remotely means the flexibility to deal with pregnancy exhaustion, morning sickness, and the general discomfort of pregnancy in the privacy of my own home. I’ve also enjoyed lots of quality time with my growing family and minimal unsolicited “advice” from well-meaning strangers.
But along with those upsides have come plenty of downs. Already a tough time for mental health, adding a pandemic to pregnancy has pushed my emotional fortitude to its limits. Support, too, has been hard to come by. I hardly saw my doctor in person until the third trimester, and the weeks since bringing my son home have been especially isolating. Not to mention, online birthing classes are not the same.
I’m lucky though: My family are avid Zoom-users and I have a great group of friends to drop off food, gifts, and socially-distant words of encouragement. Since most of my friends have kiddos of their own, they know just what this lonesome mama needs.
To that end, I wanted to share some of the most helpful gifts I received during my pregnancy and early postpartum days. Whether you’re nearby or far away, have a big budget or only the gift of time, you can use these ideas presented by Matraea to support the moms-to-be in your life.
Celebrating pregnancy in a virtual world
I’ve been daydreaming about what it would be like to be pregnant since I was young. So when the pandemic threw all the typical pregnancy celebrations out the window, I was devastated. Don’t get me wrong: I was still thrilled to be expecting. But going through this experience alone was not how I’d imagined it.
● Then, my sister saved the day with a virtual baby shower. The outpouring of support washed away my anxieties, and my sister managed the virtual party like a pro using live polls and break-out groups to play shower games without total chaos.
● The shower was fun, but my friend’s gender reveal idea takes the cake: After entrusting her with our ultrasound results, she ordered a piñata for a livestream surprise gender reveal. I also love the idea of scratch-off cards for a long-distance gender reveal.
● Don’t discount the importance of everyday check-ins. While Zoom parties are fun, it’s probably the weekly coffee dates (or herbal tea, in my case) with close friends that had the biggest impact on my mental health.
The best gifts for a pandemic pregnancy
Virtual baby showers are more than a fun way to catch up with family. They’re also a major financial relief in the midst of a turbulent economy. However, it wasn’t just the big ticket gifts I appreciated. These are some of the most thoughtful gifts I received during pregnancy.
● For mamas having their second or third child, the pandemic presents the added challenge of watching older siblings 24/7 — or in my case, a very needy dog. A dog subscription box was key to relieving my dog mom guilt. For friends with the non-furry kind of kids, try these quarantine-friendly toys.
● No hospital visitors due to COVID-19 means lots of pictures. So I was relieved to have something nicer than a hospital gown to wear after delivery. A nightgown from Motherhood was the perfect gift I didn’t know I needed. Not only is it cute paired with a cardigan for postpartum photo ops, it’s also fully functional for breastfeeding.
● Believe it or not, a good wireless charger is a godsend when you have your hands busy with other tasks. A wireless pad with fast-charging capabilities, for example, allowed me to charge multiple devices at once.
Supporting new moms from a distance
Navigating pregnancy in a pandemic is hard enough. But for me, the most trying time was after bringing my son home. With no visitors for up to eight weeks, there was no one to offer relief from sleepless nights and non-stop nursing. But while babysitting wasn’t an option, people still found meaningful ways to help.
● Meal delivery was a lifesaver for this new mom. I found the meal kits that worked best for me postpartum were ones that required minimal prep like Hungryroot, Daily Harvest, and Freshly.
● Drop-off laundry service was another surprisingly helpful gift. While I washed cloth diapers in-house, having the rest of the household laundry picked up dirty and dropped off clean felt like magic.
● Don’t forget the importance of self-care during this tender period. Getting an hour to myself each day made all the difference in my postpartum mental health. Gift givers can put together a DIY care package or buy a pre-made self-care kit.
These things combined ensured that, no matter how physically isolated I was, I never felt like I was navigating my pregnancy alone. While the pandemic certainly changed my experience as a mom-to-be, I was able to step into parenthood knowing I had the love and support of family and friends behind me. And that is the greatest gift of all.
submitted by Emily Graham
emily@mightymoms.net