Things have become weird for just about everyone. Normal life has been upended as the coronavirus spreads across the globe. Of course, this is having a lot of expected consequences. At the same time, some of them are unexpected.
For example, people aren’t surprised they can’t see their elderly parents during this pandemic. But what about newborn babies? For some families, this unforeseen issue has now become their new reality.
NICU babies
On February 20, Kendra Berry-Stankovich of Pennsylvania gave birth to beautiful twin girls, Danica and Quinnlyn. If you remember back to those days, the pandemic hadn’t yet caused chaos to daily life. But since the twins were born prematurely, at just 31 weeks, they had to stay in the hospital.
Visiting regularly
When babies end up in the NICU, they can’t go home right away. Back when these twins were born, that wasn’t too big of a problem for their parents. After all, Kendra and her partner, Michael, were allowed to go to the hospital to visit them. That gave them a chance to bond.
But soon, things changed
But not long after the babies were born, the hospital started changing its policies. Within three weeks of their birth, it went into complete lockdown due to COVID-19. That meant the twins’ parents were no longer allowed to visit them.
Getting the news over the phone
It’s important to limit person-to-person contact as much as possible during this time. So, when these parents found out they weren’t going to be able to see their daughters, it was via a phone call. Kendra said, “They called us and told us that we couldn’t come back.” That’s a call that would’ve been difficult for any parent to receive.
Nurses are stepping up
Nurses are already having an exceptionally difficult time at their jobs right now. But those working at this Pennsylvania hospital have done their best to provide extra care and comfort to the babies. While they’re doing heroic work, the twins’ parents still want to see them.
Feeling devastated
Whether you’re a parent or not, you can imagine how scary it is for these parents who can’t see their babies in the NICU. They’re afraid that without skin-to-skin contact, their babies are going to forget them. They just have to hold onto hope that doesn’t happen.
Mom can’t even breastfeed
Breastfeeding and proper nutrition are essential for a child’s development. But since this disease poses such a big risk, this mom can’t even go into the hospital to breastfeed her children. She said she asked them if she could still come in to nurse but the hospital told her she’d have to pump and drop off her milk instead.
The twins have older siblings
Kendra and Michael’s older kids haven’t even met their little sisters yet. They’ve seen pictures but they haven’t had the chance to meet them in person. This undoubtedly puts a tremendous amount of stress on the entire family.
Helping other parents prepare
When this happened, Kendra and Michael couldn’t have even seen it coming. But now that it’s happened, they want other parents to be prepared. Expectant parents should be aware of what could happen when they give birth during this uncertain time.
Kendra and Michael can’t wait to see their daughters.
While times have been tough, Kendra and Michael can hopefully see their daughters soon. Once they leave the NICU, they’ll be able to go home. Then, their whole family will be reunited.
When thinking about the different ways this virus is impacting people, don’t forget about this resilient family.
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Sources: CBS Philadelphia, YouTube
