According to the UN, around 36,000 babies are born each day. That’s more than 130 million a year! With each birth being a miracle in itself, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of procreation, it’s no surprise that people are becoming frustrated at not being able to see the new additions to the families of their nearest and dearest.
The impact of COVID-19
As one of our recent contributors wrote: “I’m thankful my little Grandson arrived early and I did get to meet him but it’s hard watching him grow and not being able to share in it.”
Whether you’re a parent, a grandparent, a friend or other relative, the fear of missing out on the precious first months of a child’s development are of great concern at the moment. Not only this, but it can be difficult feeling so helpless when wanting to support those new to motherhood during those first months knowing they are without visits from midwives or even being able to register the birth of their child (we’ll cover more of this in a future blog post).
How to welcome newborns into the world during a pandemic
Whilst visits are out of bounds at the moment, there are a few other ways we can welcome new life into the world until the restrictions are lifted:
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Through the looking glass – for those within walking distance of the new addition’s home, arrange so that your daily hour’s worth of exercise provides you with the opportunity to spot the little one through the window.
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Video calls – never have we been more grateful of technology than the present. No amount of geography can prevent you from witnessing a baby’s first coos, words or steps with the use of FaceTime, Zoom or WhatsApp.
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Photographs – we all know how much parents love sharing photos of their newborns. Keep a document of their growth by creating a picture book with pictures from each day so you can still feel a part of their growing up.
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Write or tell a story – you could have guessed we would add this one in here! But storytelling is a crucial part of growing up. Writing a fairytale or nursery rhyme to be read by parents or just saying one down the phone can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
Staying positive
We can’t wait for you to be reunited with your loved ones, and encourage you in the meantime to remember that you will have plenty of memories to make in the future. Whilst it feels like lockdown is going on forever, the reality is that it won’t. Try to keep positive by thinking of the things you can do with the young ones when restrictions ease and try to maintain communication as best as possible in the meantime. It’s also worth considering what you can do to make parents’ lives easier in the meantime, but whilst ensuring you adhere to restrictions on movement.
Share your story
We’re keen to hear your ideas on how to welcome newborns into the world during quarantine and what you’ve been doing to love them from afar. Tell us your story at stozzys.com.