Giving birth in a pandemic

Palesa Tshabalala had that pregnancy glow, common among first-time mothers. Basking in the journey that was her first pregnancy, she found herself with a busy schedule, preparing for her pregnancy photo shoot, her baby shower, antenatal classes and all the other exciting parts of being a new mom. However, just as she reached 27 weeks, the country went into lockdown.

“I became super-paranoid about handwashing and staying indoors,” shares the new mother. “That just added to my stress and all the uncertainties that came with the lockdown.”

Staying healthy and safe during pregnancy is enough of a struggle; now there’s a pandemic to deal with too.

Pregnancy in the time of COVID

Under normal circumstances, an expectant mother will have a million thoughts racing through her head as she ponders her newborn’s impending arrival. These simply multiply as she tries to navigate her way through a pandemic.

“I had so many concerns when the lockdown was first implemented, the main one being whether my husband would be able to join me for the last few doctor’s appointments, as well as the birth of our baby, especially since we were at the very end of my pregnancy when lockdown