(Dover, Ohio) – A local mother is preparing herself for a different birthing experience as she prepares to welcome her second child into the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gabrielle Ferguson and her husband, Lee, are gearing up for the birth of their second child in just a couple of weeks. Gabrielle is due on June 12th and she admits that this pregnancy experience has been totally different than her first. “The health crisis has definitely given some anxiety with the unknown of how it is going to be at delivery,” she explained. “I have to have a C-section so they say my husband should be able to come back with me as long as there is enough personal protective equipment (PPE). That was really hard to hear. I wouldn’t want to do that alone or [for] him to miss a big moment in our lives.”
Her journey over the last, nearly nine months, has also looked much different than her journey carrying her now 3-year-old daughter, Hadley. With some prenatal checkups being done virtually to her husband not being permitted to join her for an ultrasound. “I had to FaceTime him, it was really emotional.” And when she has gone into the doctor’s office, it has resembled something out of a movie. “The office chairs are scattered and everyone is required to wear a mask. It’s just a different feeling when you go in there compared to the excitement of of going to the doctor [during] the first pregnancy.”
While Gabrielle and Lee say they are very much ‘go with the flow’ kind-of people, they also like to have a plan in place. “I have definitely been a lot more emotional and have more anxiety these last few months with the health crisis, but we are just trying to take everything as it comes. At the same time though, we are are still so excited.”
Hadley, she said, is always talking about getting to meet ‘her’ new baby. “I’m most looking forward to seeing how [she] is going to adjust. She already really likes to help and has been practicing on feeding her baby dolls and reading them stories, so I know that she is going to be over the moon,” added Gabrielle. “We try to include [her] in everything so she doesn’t feel like we are forgetting about her.”
There is still a lot of unknown as the big day approaches and Gabrielle admitted they still have a lot of questions. “How are we going to handle family wanting to meet the baby? Who are we going to allow? Are we going to have everyone wear masks? How long should people stay? These are all questions we constantly talk about, but just really have no idea how to approach them and are constantly changing our minds about what to do.”
Overall, Gabrielle indicated the magic of pregnancy has stayed consistent. “I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything, really. I feel like I have had a lot more extra time with my daughter and husband during these last few months, and I probably wouldn’t have had [it] otherwise.” She said when it comes down to it, she’s really just thankful. “Thankful to have so much extra time together as a family during this pandemic.”
Gabrielle will begin her maternity leave next week as the Fergusson’s prepare to go from a family of 3 to a family of 4. The baby is coming pandemic…or no pandemic.
