Parenting in the pandemic

Whether it was giving birth, struggling without family support or juggling homeschooling during lockdown, it’s been tough on everyone’s mental and physical health. Beverley Hunt looks at the support available for families.

Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic meant new mum Sophie didn’t know where to go to for support with breastfeeding.

“I really wanted to breastfeed her, but I was exhausted after the deliver and so stressed because I couldn’t get her to latch,” she said.

It wasn’t really the start Sophie Foster, a learning disability nursing assistant at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT), wanted when little Rosie was born, but it can be common among mums. It was also during the Covid pandemic.

Due to visitor restrictions, Sophie, from Sittingbourne, managed a lot of the labour on her own without husband Martin and – following a diagnosis of preeclampsia – Rosie finally arrived by emergency caesarean delivery.

Sophie was upset when breastfeeding didn’t go to plan and she found she needed to start pumping milk when Rosie was just a few-days-old.

She said: “My main goal was to give her my milk, even if I couldn’t get her latched on to me. Pumping worked for us and she would take the milk in a bottle without problems.

“The community midwives were amazing and spent time supporting me with the latch, but Sophie just didn’t seem to be on board.”

She was on the verge of giving up when help arrived in the form of Janet Farrington, KCHFT’s Infant Feed Programme Manager.

“I spoke to Janet on the phone and later at a clinic face-to- face. She was supportive of my method of feeding Rosie by pumping and didn’t dismiss this, if it worked for us.

“She suggested I check the size of the pump flange I was using; it turned out it was too small.”

Sophie has been able to continue to pump her milk and Rosie, now two-months-old, is thriving. Sophie explained: “Janet has said her door is always open, if anything crops up in the future.

“There is so much support online from other women who are exclusively pumping. I learned so much from the Beside You website and the Facebook live films.

“I would say to any woman who is pregnant or worried; don’t worry if things don’t pan out the way you planned. Just reach out for help, it will be there.”