Covid-19 has changed many of the ways we live our life. I'd love to hear from you how it has directly affected your pregnancy. Do you feel like you've missed out on anything during your pregnancy with Charli that you got to do during your previous pregnancies? Do you recall any emotional differences related to the changes you faced towards the end of your pregnancy?
The Covid shut down started during a very important time in my pregnancy. I had just entered my third trimester and was looking forward to all the things I got to do with my two boys. I was going to do a 4d ultrasound, make a heart beat bear, have my baby shower, and take maternity pictures. Covid unfortunately ruined all of those plans. Because of the shutdown my husband's casino closed and we went from one income to no income. At that point we had to prioritize where our money went and had to follow a strict budget. The 4d ultrasound, heart beat bear, and maternity session did not fit into our budget anymore. I lost out on having my husband at my last ultrasound before the baby was born. I lost out on a regular baby shower. I will say what everyone came up with was wonderful though. In my third trimester I was an emotional wreck. I was anxious about going into labor. Since my children were out of school I was taking care of three rowdy boys and my daughter. I was a full time student as well. Teaching three school age children, cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and tons of snacks in between lol), going to school myself, and trying to keep up with my duties around the house was draining. Emotionally and physically. It also unknown how Covid affected pregnant women. If it could be transferred to the baby invitro or not. All of the what ifs made it impossible to not to constantly worry. Sleep was out of the question. All in all my quarantine pregnancy was more stressful and caused more anxiety and possible depression. I started to doubt if I could handle having a newborn and continue doing all I was for my other children. I started to doubt my ability as a mother and a wife. It was difficult not having a support system and knowing I was stuck in quarantine.
How was your hospital stay? Do you recall any differences in processes, how you were treated, etc. compared to your previous birth experiences? How did those differences make you feel?
When we arrived at the hospital we had to answer questions like had we been out of the state, have we been in contact with anyone sick, and do we feel sick. They then took our temperatures and called the labor and delivery nurses. When the nurses came down and escorted us upstairs there was no leaving after that. My husband was not allowed to leave for snacks, drinks, or anything of any sort. If he did he was not allowed back in. The nurses that tended to me all wore masks and didn't come in the room very often. If I needed something I had to call for them which was much different than what I was used to. With both of my boys I was surrounded by nurses constantly. Waking me up in the middle of the night, a lactation assistant coming in, the nursery nurses checking on the baby, etc. When i had Charli, she never left the room. They didn't take her to the nursery to bath her. She stayed with me 24/7.
Where was Charli born and at how many weeks gestation? How old was your baby on the date of her session?
Charli was born at Willis Knighton Bossier at 39 weeks. I was induced. On the date of her session she was a month old!
What were you nervous about going into your session?
Going in to the session I was just glad to be out of the house. It was the first time (other than going to the hospital) that I had been out of the house since quarantine began. Other than dr appointments.
What was your favorite part of your session experience?
My favorite part was getting to see Charli dressed up. Also getting to talk and connect with another adult and awesome photographer. You were so wonderful with Charli!!
How do you feel now that you have completed your session and received your images?
I feel good knowing that our experience was documented. That I can show her when she is older. I am also excited that I can tell my story to hopefully help out other moms who are going through what we did and give them some peace in knowing that everything will be okay!
Would you recommend Leslie to other parents looking to document their newborn? Why would you recommend Leslie?
Of course I would recommend Leslie to everyone! I love her work and she was so gentle and wonderful with Charli. She has definitely found her calling in photography!
