pregnancy during a pandemic can bring in some intense emotions.

during this pandemic chaos, she was pregnant and had a baby! she is thriving and so is her baby. i interviewed megan because i wanted to know her thoughts on the pandemic and how it may have altered her birth experience. i wanted to hear a new momma’s perspective on the emotional roller coaster of navigating those pregnancy hormones and emotions during this time.

megan is a brave soul, loves to research and question, and speaks her mind.  she has longed for motherhood and now she is living that dream. her perspective during a pandemic is amazing and i want you to meet her. can i just say that she was on the tv show, the bachelor, and i am still excited telling you that! she is married to mr. right and he is handsome and wonderful, but she did not find him on that show. ask her how she met her husband…..

she is a first time mom with a newborn baby girl. she and i have had some fun phone calls and video chats during her pregnancy and after the birth of her baby girl, talking about all the things around a new baby and i wanted to share her answers.

as a postpartum doula, i wanted to help her succeed in her new role of motherhood. she has surprised me with her determination to push through some difficulties with breastfeeding and interrupted night time sleep and recently, a baby experiencing some colic. she has a four week old baby now and is navigating this time so well and her attitude is beautiful. i have loved sharing these days and weeks with her. it has blessed me to be able to share our experiences and learn from each other. she has made me a better listener during this pandemic.

during the interview, my questions, comments, and prayers are in italics.

megan, how did you get through the pandemic restrictions while pregnant and now with a new baby?

fear, anxiety, paranoia, and isolation can have its toll if you aren’t careful, and prayer got me through this. thankfully, i have my strong faith in the Lord that he would take care of baby oaklee and i throughout this time. we prayed every day and night to protect our health and i truly believe he did. instead of being anxious, i was given peace every single day and night. i woke up full of joy and went to sleep peacefully.

did your lifestyle change during quarantine? did you give up going certain places? did you miss any important events?

of course, we were cautious throughout the 9 months of pregnancy, which made for some really tough calls. i stayed away from large crowds and i wore my mask indoors. i missed my best friend’s wedding.  i had to skip out on shows and concerts. we chose not to travel to our number one pick for the baby moon which would’ve been mexico!

emotions are so up and down right now with the pandemic and  hormones from birth and breastfeeding.  how did you manage those feelings?

i could feel pregnancy sway my emotions in one direction strongly, so i kept aware of where i was mentally every day and gave the rest to God.  but i tried really hard not to let the fear and sadness get to me. i talked with my husband about how i was feeling. i didn’t keep my emotions bottled up, but let them spill out. he kept me grounded and level headed. i shared my concerns and questions with my best friends and realized we were all feeling the same thing: a longing for connection in our relationships because of the quarantine restrictions. thank goodness for outside coffee dates, walks and talks with friends and family. we made some really hard decisions to stay home and limit visitors to keep this baby protected. it was our top priority.

tell me about your support system. i know you have lots of family living close by and ones willing to travel.

we had a great support system with family and friends who supported us the day my water broke. no extra visitors were allowed during my labor and delivery, but we were able to facetime on our iphones. that was such a great way to stay connected with family. i had a crowd of beautiful family faces to welcome us when we arrived home from the hospital. everyone came together and sent flowers, cards, and meals. our families stocked our refrigerator and pantry with meals to last us for weeks. i’ve had a few friends come meet baby oaklee, but we’ve been careful about this so we don’t expose her too much during this season. 

what special things have you done just for you?

my mom has been so kind to come help me out a couple times a week while my husband is at work. i’m able to get so much done including brushing my teeth when she’s here! haha! thank you, mom!

i have two close friends that have had babies and i can call them anytime. my lactation specialist has become a good friend and we talk frequently.  i have my doctor and baby girl’s doctor on speed dial in my phone.

if you know me, you know i love having photos taken to document our lives. so, we had newborn photos taken with evie lynn photography. i am so glad we captured this time because everything changes so quickly. i am going for my daily stroller walks. we are finding ways to get together with friends and family. i enjoyed a recent trip to the zoo which allowed our big family to enjoy the animals, and we got a little exercise along with some fresh air. there was great conversation and connection as we chatted along the way at our own pace.

i want to hear about your favorite items for you and baby oaklee because i know you love to research!

my top favorite things for baby during her first few weeks have been the portable sound machine, snuggle me organic boppy, and happiest baby swaddle . i also use the owlet sock every time baby sleeps

favorite thing for myself postpartum: fridamom kit has been amazing after vaginal delivery!  i’d say it’s a little better than what the hospital provides. 

is there anything you are missing in this new season of life?

i am missing my sleep!  i haven’t been able to sleep much during the night since i am pumping and feeding. i let kyle sleep through the night so he is rested at work. he has hard long days working in the hospital so i try to carry the load through the night as well.  i catch myself forgetting to eat and drink water throughout the day, but i try really hard to stay on top of it so my milk supply doesn’t decrease.

what advice do you have for new moms that may be feeling isolated right now?

find your village. it’s so important to have people you trust and love. i’ve learned so much during this season of life with a new baby from my mom, sister in law & best friend who are all moms and have gone through all of this. it’s been so helpful to lean on them for emotional help and to ask any questions i have as a first time mom.

how can i support you right now?

just prayers! prayer for peace and comfort, good routines, especially prayers that we continue to stay healthy! 

megan, i pray that Jesus, the God of all comfort will wrap you in his arms and hold you as long as you need it. and i pray for His peace to overwhelm each of you day and night, everyday. all the time. Lord, i thank you for confidence to bloom in her as a new mom and give her wisdom from above every time she needs it. i pray that megan and her baby will continue to bond and create an established routine that they are both happy with during kyle’s work days.

God, keep megan, kyle, and baby oaklee supernaturally healthy and well and protected from all diseases in Jesus’ name. God, thank you that as they grow and move in their new family routines, healthy patterns will develop and their schedules together will begin to quickly sync, flow, and become natural and feel normal. God, encourage megan in her new role of motherhood and kyle in his new role of fatherhood. build their confidence as new parents and help each one to bond with baby oaklee and form a life long relationship based on the love of God.

in Jesus’ name, amen.