HELENA — When it comes to having a baby, during, the coronavirus pandemic things are a little different than they have been in the past.
MTN asked two Montana moms who recently gave birth what the hospital experience was like and what new moms can expect in the age era of COVID-19 restrictions.
Christine Gavaghan, who is a mother of four says "The restrictions at the hospital, I couldn't have my whole support team there, it was just actually my husband and me, and it turned out to be really nice."
Lauren Simonich, who added another baby girl to her family in May says, "Positively speaking it was kinda nice not having that pressure of everyone wanting to visit your baby right away."
When MTN asked, What advice they would give to expecting mothers the women offered some suggestions.
"Put faith into your medical staff. Whether it be your pediatrician three weeks after birth or right there during birth," Gavaghan said.
Simonich says mothers-to-be should be prepared to wear a mask. She suggests if they have a specific type or have a favorite style they should make sure it is packed in their hospital bag.
However, she adds, during the actual labor those masks can cause some difficulty, "We had to wear masks the whole time, which was interesting even during labor. At one point the nurse ripped it off my face because I was having a hard time breathing."
Gavaghan, who gave birth in mid-March, says at that time the only restriction was the number of people in the room while she gave birth.
She also added that before gooing and gaaing over a newborn a person should keep their distance with an infant.
Ask the mother her comfort level before assuming it's OK to touch the baby or walk up carefully. She says this allows everyone to feel comfortable.