By Romy Stephens
While no family plans to have a baby during a pandemic, this year, that’s a reality many have had to face.
For Wandin’s Ashlee Schroen, challenges surrounding Covid-19 only added to what was already a difficult pregnancy.
When she was heavily pregnant, Ashlee’s husband, Haydon, broke his leg.
“I was almost 37 weeks when my husband went on a bike ride in Silvan on the mountain bike tracks and he snapped his femur and dislocated and shattered his ankle,” Ashlee said.
The couple, who already had two sons, originally planned to control the birth themselves.
“We had planned for the two of us to pretty much birth ourselves in the hospital environment,” Ashlee said.
“Knowing that he couldn’t physically support me and not knowing if he was capable to mentally support me, that was a big thing for us.”
With Ashlee’s husband unable to assist her during labour and the numerous hospital restrictions surrounding Covid-19, the pair decided to suddenly switch to a home birth.
Unsure if they would be able to organise a midwife so late in the pregnancy, Ashlee tried her luck with Lisa and Robyn from Yarra Valley Midwives – luckily, they were able to fit the couple in.
“It was the best decision that we made. If anything positive came out of the situation it was Lisa and Robbie and having the home birth,” Ashlee said.
Robyn Partington from Yarra Valley Midwives said it wasn’t uncommon to see couples avoid hospitals and opt for a home birth during Covid-19.
“More women are flagging interest in home birth…There’s a push going around to put pressure on Medicare to provide some rebates for those women that choose to have a home birth,” she said.
“To take them out of the hospital system and ease that pressure on the hospital staff and costs.”
Numerous controversial recommendations have been made when it comes to giving birth in hospital during Covid-19.
Earlier this year, the State Government announced partners or a support person could stay at hospital for only two hours after birth. The Government later changed its advice to allow for unlimited stay on the day of birth.
Meanwhile, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has advised to suspend the use of water immersion during labour, due to PPE not being effective when wet.
However, the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) opposed this advice.
“The current evidence does not support discontinuing the use of water in labour or of water immersion,” ACM said in a statement.
“This is especially true if the laboring woman is not suspected or confirmed as having contracted Covid-19.”
But the challenges surrounding birth and Covid-19 are not just subject to the time spent in hospital.
Ashlee said it had been extremely challenging being unable to share her newborn with family and friends.
“My sister’s held my baby once and so has my brother and they both live within 10 minutes of my house. We are normally a really close family,” she said.
“It’s really lonely but in a strange way. I know that people are thinking about us but it’s honestly crossed my mind that people are going to forget I’ve had a baby.”
Ashlee and Haydon are also balancing a newborn baby with their two sons who are learning remotely.
“I’m homeschooling with a newborn. One of my children is autistic as well so that adds another complication,” Ashlee said.
“The school is helping in the best way they can but it takes a lot of patience.”
To find out more about hospitals and pregnancy, visit The Royal Women’s Hospital’s Covid-19 Information Hub, https://www.thewomens.org.au/patients-visitors, or www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/visiting-hospitals-covid-19.
