Ellie, Olivia and Stephen Ball leaving Te Kotuku Maternity Unit at Whangarei Hospital after the baby was born under lockdown. Photo / Supplied
Ellie, Olivia and Stephen Ball leaving Te Kotuku Maternity Unit at Whangarei Hospital after the baby was born under lockdown. Photo / Supplied
Being about to give birth can be stressful enough at the best of times, but a Whangārei couple's birthing plan was thrown into disarray by the Covid-19 lockdown.
After previously delivering two healthy boys at Whangārei Hospital, Ellie Ball and husband Stephen were looking forward to returning to Te Kotuku Maternity Unit for the birth of their third child when their plans were turned upside down, thanks to Covid-19.
Having a baby doesn't always go to schedule, but as soon as the pandemic broke out, the Balls had to quickly adapt to a whole new way of doing things. Midwife appointments were held over the phone, and any face to face was contact limited to just 15 minutes, complete with masks.
Ellie said they had planned to spend one or two nights in Te Kotuku – but this time round were told if everything went well, they would be encouraged to go home within hours of delivering the baby.
This change, in particular, made them a bit nervous, but because they had been through it twice before Ellie said she felt quite fortunate knowing what to expect. Also, her mother arrived in time from the UK to be able to join their bubble and support them with the baby and their other two children.
Before driving to the hospital, both Ellie and Stephen were screened over the phone to ensure they didn't have any symptoms of Covid-19 and had been in self-isolation. They were also questioned on arrival at the maternity unit.
During the birth, Ellie's midwife wore a mask which she said was all very strange but essential, and when little Olivia Ball arrived at 5.01am on Friday, April 3, instead of heading to the ward to recuperate, they prepared to leave for home, from the delivery suite.
"Because I am RhD negative, I had to have an anti-D immunoglobulin injection after having Olivia, so we didn't have to leave until midday. Otherwise, we would've been home by 9am," Ellie said.
The timing was good for Ellie's mum and her two sons James and Charlie, who didn't have to wait long to meet the new addition. But Ellie said it was all a bit overwhelming, especially with a two-year-old and four-year-old bouncing around their new baby sister.
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Ellie can't help but feel like she is grieving for the experience they have missed out on this time, especially not being able to have friends and family visit or the midwife around for longer than 15 minutes. They even had to cancel their newborn photoshoot, but the saddest thing for her has been missing out on having the house filled with beautiful flowers and messages of love and support from well wishers.
However, they have been able to share photos of Olivia on social media and friends have dropped baking and gifts into the mailbox, which she said has been amazing.
While the situation has not been ideal, Ellie said staying at home with a more relaxed schedule has slowed down the pace of life and made it a very special experience.
''In some ways the slowing down of pace, being with our older children as we navigate a new normal and getting to know our new addition, especially with my Mum here, has been a beautiful experience that we will always treasure. But, certainly, a very different one,'' Ellie said.
Her advice to other expectant mothers is to stay positive, stay strong and trust in your own physical and mental strength as a woman.
"It was very stressful having to change our plans and mind set last minute, but we did it, and it all went as planned. It's a strange time to be giving birth, but you've got this, you can do it!''
