We recently asked pregnant people and new parents in the BuzzFeed Community to share some of the obstacles they're facing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here are their stories:
1. "I was induced and labored for 54 hours by myself. No labor partner due to restrictions and my mother’s own health prevented her from being there..."
2. "I was 10 weeks pregnant and am miscarriage-prone. When I started bleeding a few days go, I opted to just let the miscarriage take its course rather than risk exposure or infection in the hospital..."
"I have kids at home and a partner that is working 50-hour weeks. This early, a 10-week fetus isn't likely to be saved anyway — going through all that risk and being away from my kids at home for a tiny chance of saving the pregnancy didn't seem worth it. It still makes us sad though."
3. "I'm only 6 weeks pregnant with baby number three and I have COVID-19 symptoms..."
"I can't help but over-worry and internet search every question that pops into my head. I know I shouldn’t look up things like this, but when you’re stuck in bed with a laptop, it’s difficult not to get sucked in. Anyway, obviously I'm self-isolating so seeing a professional for some real advice will have to wait."
4. "My 15-month-old went from walking two to three times a day to 'patio time.' No nature, no grass, no dirt, no view. Heartbreaking to live in a time where our children are forced to stay in and not understand we’re doing it to save their little lives. We miss being out in nature so much!"
5. "My doctor told me that if I were to test positive for COVID-19 when I deliver, the protocol is to separate the baby from me. The thought of that makes me want to dry heave and cry."
6. "I'm 25 weeks pregnant. Last week, I suffered a fall on my stairs and ended up in the hospital. My husband wasn’t allowed to visit and I had to find out alone I was having contractions and could deliver early."
7. "My baby girl is 5 months old. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to breastfeed, so we switched to formula. Right before this lockdown all started (in the east coast of Canada) my military husband was deployed, so I've had no choice but to bring my baby to the grocery store to get more formula every week..."
8. “I found out I was pregnant shortly before everything started going crazy. Because I had had a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy, I was basically forced to out myself to my boss way before I was ready so I could start social distancing the minute those recommendations came down...”
"I feel guilty I’m not more excited like I was with my first. I feel terrified I’ll lose this just like the last one. I’m worried that all this worrying is going to hurt my unborn baby or make my son feel unsafe or anxious. I’m a mess, basically. A tired, nauseous, anxious, pregnant mess."
9. "As a surgery nurse who is pregnant, I’ve been very fortunate to be furloughed two weeks now since elective surgeries were canceled. However, I’m not getting paid, and as my family’s primary wage earner it is incredibly difficult to choose between financial security and self-isolation to protect the developing fetus."
10. "I have been told throughout my pregnancy, 'Don't buy anything, you'll get a lot of things you need at your baby shower.' Right now it looks like I won't be able to have my baby shower, which means spending last minute the money in our savings account to prepare for the baby's arrival."
11. "I recently had a complication from my C-section. My doctor told me that under normal circumstances I would have been sent right to the ER, but that I should wait it out to avoid going in. Everything ended up being OK, but it was still scary."
12. "I'm 29 weeks and I'm a nurse in a hospital SLAMMED with the coronavirus. I am terrified to go into work every day. I also can't get diapers, formula, wipes; literally everything is sold out online..."
"I had an impossible time getting a decent changing table because for whatever reason, everything is out of stock online!! Yes, even furniture!"
13. "I’m 5 months pregnant with my first (a surprise!) and I’m learning to be okay with losing what I hoped would be my last few months of child-free freedom..."
14. "I’m 18 weeks with my first child after three and a half years of trying and two rounds of IVF. My pregnancy is high risk from a partial placenta detachment after a massive subchorionic hemorrhage. The last time I left the house was three weeks ago for an ultrasound appointment..."
"My husband works in a federal prison and is an essential employee. He’s the only person I’ve seen since the ultrasound. We’re practicing social distancing in the house. We’re sleeping in different rooms and keeping apart. I feel so isolated and alone. This is not how I imagined my miracle pregnancy to go. I’m terrified at the thought of being trapped at home for the months to come. I’m scared for my baby, I’m scared for my family, and I’m scared for my husband."
15. "I have a 3-week-old and my husband works at a hospital with confirmed COVID-19 cases. It’s impossible to find enough cleaning products to keep her safe when he comes home."
16. "My mom and I are really close and I haven’t been able to see her in the past couple of weeks to share my last couple of months of pregnancy with her. I wanted her to be at the hospital to support me and to see the birth of her first grandson. The hospital is only allowing one support person, so she won’t be able to be there..."
17. "I delivered my son via C-section on March 26 without my husband present due to the strict policy of no partners. It was lifted two days later..."
"Now we are in lockdown in our home with our toddler and infant, dealing with the emotional fallout of my husband missing the birth and my physical/emotional recovery as well."
18. "I'm being induced on April 8th. So far the biggest obstacle is trying to guess what and how much you're going to need. You can't predict diaper sizes. I'm hoping the four tubs of formula I bought will last and that I'll be able to get more in a month..."
"It's the uncertainty. Preparing for a baby is hard enough during normal times. Try predicting what your baby will need during a pandemic."
19. "I’m due in just over two weeks time with my second child. Even though nurseries are supposedly staying open for key workers' children ours has shut completely so I have no childcare..."
20. "I am pregnant and rapidly running out of clothes that fit and can’t go to buy maternity clothes because the clothing stores are all closed."
21. "I gave birth at an NYC hospital during the no visitor policy. I am a labor and delivery nurse at that hospital and in no scenario did I ever picture delivering my first baby without my husband..."
"It was devastating for both of us. It is an experience that I cannot get back and I’m grieving it. We are so happy that our little girl is here and safe, but no one should have to go through that experience alone. I am lucky that I knew the ins and outs of labor and what happens when you need a C-section. Any other person having to go into that situation blind must have been terrified."
22. "I have a 6-week-old and I just miss having my mom and sister to help. My husband is wonderful, but he gets as little sleep as I do and is working from home. With my mom and sister there it would give extra helping hands where I don’t have to feel guilty asking for help..."
"I’m also dealing with some postpartum depression, so not having them to give me a break has made this really tough. Total isolation is hard. Not knowing what I’m doing is hard. Not knowing if I have enough of the essentials for my new daughter is hard. I miss my family and I just need this to be over."
23. "My friend has an autistic 4-year-old. She’s really struggling through quarantine because his therapies are closed. He is showing signs of regression and behaviors she thought were beyond them are now coming back full force..."
Some submissions have been edited for grammar and clarity.