The Curse of Covid-19 and Paranoid Moms

Do you find yourself in a state of anxiety and paranoia, the moment you step out of the house with your baby/toddler? More than the fun and excitement, you find yourself keenly observing who comes near your baby and any sound of cough is enough to make you twitch at your place. When you are enjoying at the playground with your baby and there is a voice at the back of your head, “did my child touch this and put his hands in his mouth?, did the other kid just sneeze/cough on my baby’s face?” And you just can’t stop yourself from reminding your guests if they have washed their hands or made a use of the sanitizer that you have very subtly kept in their eyesight.

If your answer to the above is “Yes”, well then welcome to the club of moms whose paranoia has skyrocketed especially in this post covid world. But at the same time if your journey has been anywhere closer to mine then I can assure you that I fully understand and relate with your anxious self.

How it felt to be pregnant in the Times of Covid-19 Pandemic?

The dawn of my motherhood journey overlapped with one of the darkest crisis happening in our times. While the world had faced plenty of crisis in the past, for the vast majority of people of my generation, this was the first. The happiness and excitement that I felt was soon overpowered by the fear and anxiety ruling the entire planet as a small virus was taking over it with lightning speed.

Do recall that it was 2020 and the stuff that we know right now about covid, and the way we are equipped today was a distant dream back then. My mind had flashes like I was gonna bring a child into a post apocalyptic world. Because it seemed more than clear that life as I had known it, was going to change for I don’t know how long.

Fear was rampant and information was less. Me and my husband were moving ahead with the maximum precautions that we could follow. Having my husband at home due to work from home was a blessing at the time. No domestic help was allowed or available during the total lockdown phases. Moreover in order to minimise outside exposure in the immuno compromised state of pregnancy my husband took the decision of not having any house help come to our home.

This was a decision which was to put additional pressure on him as I was myself struggling with severe nausea and morning sickness. I was not much help around the house. He had to manage a lot of things and the best I could do for him was to not increase his troubles. But I applaud him for the strength he showed at the time and handling everything the way he did.

Things I missed in my Pregnancy during the Covid 19 Pandemic

I had always had this image in my mind for the time when I got pregnant. Munching on my favourites, being surrounded with my family all the way pampered. But none of this was possible. Neither me nor my mom could travel to be with each other.

I could not pick any outside food to satisfy my cravings. I did not miss much of anything but ice-cream. And it was one thing that I needed to avoid all the more. I could not risk catching any kind of cough or cold because any person coughing in public was assumed to be a big threat as there was so much of paranoia involved. And I needed to keep up with my doctor’s appointments therefore could not risk even the assumption that I might have picked the virus so as to avoid unnecessary testing.

The medical check ups and trips to the hospital was another battle in itself. Almost every maternity care hospital had certain rules in place. And mine was no different. No attendant was allowed with you if you are pregnant. People with newborns can come as a pair and not more than that. So my husband would wait outside the hospital as I went inside for my routine check ups. I missed having my husband in the same room especially during the ultrasonography sessions. I so wanted him to be able to look at the screen and share the moment together. But we knew the rules had been put in position for our own safety and we couldn’t do much about it.

How It Affects You?

Having spent a very important important part of your life in such fear and anxiety, it is not uncommon to feel paranoid as a mom. Post partum in itself is a time when your hormones are all over the place, and it is normal to feel scared when a new disease so easy to spread is all around us. You are not willing to take an iota of a risk which might expose your baby to covid or other infections.

But it is also important to remember that even though you are the mom, but people around you like friends and family are also eager to spend time with your munchkin. The aunts and the uncles are gonna want to play with them. Grandparents are gonna want to sing to them. Even for toddlers, they need to spend time outdoors like playgrounds and parks. You may want to take them to your favourite mall or restaurant. Being alert and following the below can let you have some amount of peace.

Precautions to take with a New Baby at Home

• Try to keep visitors to a minimum at least the first 3 months of a baby’s life. It is their first time in the world and they still have developing immune systems. Even beyond that duration, utmost care is to be followed.

• Keep a bottle of sanitizer always handy and do not shy away from asking visitors to use a handful.

• If someone from family has travelled outstation, ask them to wash hands and change clothes if possible before coming near the baby. They are your family and they are gonna understand that you are concerned. After all they love the baby too.

• Wash the child’s toys at regular intervals in warm soapy water or little bit of antiseptic as little ones have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. It is just the best way of exploring for them.

• Even when outside take care to wash or sanitize your toddler’s hands at regular intervals.

• Try to carry your kid or just hold them in crowded or other public places so that they don’t touch common surfaces like escalator railings, door knobs etc.

• Usage of masks not recommended and not even feasible in very young children. Though they can be used for children 3 years and older.

• Always keep yourself and your baby updated on vaccinations.

Summing Up

And remember Mamma, you are always gonna do what is best for your baby. But it is also true that you cannot always protect them from infections. What you can do is love them and nurse them back to health in such situations. Even for covid, now there is plenty of research and information available as compared to 3 years ago.

Even if you feel overwhelmed at times and go through bouts of paranoia, anxiety or self doubt, it is always good to talk to someone be it a friend or family. Keep yourself receptive to your rationale mind. Give yourself credit that you have been on a very precious journey during one of the most difficult phases of modern history. Don’t panic, Keep calm (I know easier said than done) and happy parenting!

If you are soon to be parents, do check out my list of delivery must haves and how to help the baby to sleep.