: I Had my Baby During the COVID-19 Lockdown It was Scary: Things to Keep in Mind #IndiaNEWS #Coronavirus Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would give birth to my second born during a

I Had my Baby During the COVID-19 Lockdown It was Scary: Things to Keep in Mind #IndiaNEWS #Coronavirus
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would give birth to my second born during a COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown. ???
It was in the month of May that Suchitra Shirke delivered her baby at a hospital in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. She describes the experience as one fraught with anxiety, nervousness, and a huge amount of unrest.
“Nothing about the pregnancy seemed normal – being cooped up inside the house to the looming uncertainty of what would happen even after the baby was born kept me up many a night,??? she says.
A general COVID-19 induced lull
Suchitra with her family.
“There was a general feeling of caution that everyone in my family had undertaken, after all, I did not want to become the first pregnant woman to be infected with COVID-19,??? she tells. This led to everyone staying away and that meant that there were no get-togethers or moments of fun within the family.
“Even the after-dinner walks with my husband, that I so cherished, had to be given up,??? she tells me. This time around, there seemed to be no enthusiasm and no matter how much she tried, a feeling of unease always crept in. “It was a very scary period, given that I was stuck indoors for the entire nine months of my pregnancy,??? she says.
Living in perennial fear
Delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I feel as though this pandemic has driven me to become obsessive about cleanliness and I am constantly worried that I have caught COVID-19,??? says Suchitra. There were times when after consuming a store-bought food, Suchitra would spend days lamenting over it and worried sick about whether it was the right thing to have done.
“This pandemic has driven and continues to drive me mad,??? she exclaims.
Suchitra Shirke
“All I prayed for is to deliver a healthy baby and for that, I was willing to subject myself to the kind of isolation that I was in,??? she says. Watching the news and just listening to people around us speak about COVID-19 added that much more pressure on her. What helped to a great extent is having a doctor who was always available to clear any doubt.
“For me, Dr Nidhi Vasani Iyer was truly god sent. She took me through each step with utmost care. Even while I was lying on the operation table, she continued to reassure me that I would be fine. ???
The D-Day
Dr Nidhi with her daughter.
While people mostly discuss what their hospital bag contains while packing before they head to the hospital for delivery, Suchitra speaks about how they had to keep all their papers ready in case they were stopped by cops on their way to the hospital. “It was an uncomfortable time, that’s the only way I can describe it,??? she tells me.