Pregnancy & Pandemics: A Love Story? Or Tragedy?

When we discovered we were pregnant at the very beginning of 2020, we had no idea what all would be coming for us. At the time, Australia was on fire and people were talking seriously about WWIII, and now, those seem like problems from another lifetime thanks to COVID-19 and the craziness that has come with it. Who knew the Pentagon releasing that UFOs are real would barely be a blip on the radar comparatively? Such a weird world we're living in right now!

Oh, and we're PREGNANT for the first time! WHAT?!

Just like every other aspect of life, the global pandemic has impacted our journey of becoming parents. For this post, we thought we'd share how from us each as individuals, and as a couple.

Rachel:

• Working 100% remotely is pretty different. The pros: I get to sleep more because I don't have an hour long commute. This has been VERY beneficial through these last few weeks of pregnancy. Same with getting to wear comfy clothes without the pressure to look decent at an office. HEY, OLD SWEATS! The cons: I miss driving to the city with my dad on a regular basis since we both work in KC. Going from talking and seeing each other nearly every week day to barely at all = LAME. I also weirdly miss my desk at the office and the access to all sorts of restaurants in the KC River Market that baby is craving like crazy right now.

• Being stuck in the house all the time has limited my time with the public. That means I haven't experienced unsolicited belly touches nor "advice", which is kind of awesome. That was not something I was relishing the idea of, because I wouldn't be able to respond... kindly. NO TOUCHY AND NO TALKY - unless its compliments. I like those - as long as the person isn't creepy about it.

• Going to the doctor alone, and being met a the hospital door with a mask, thermometer and health questionnaire is definitely a "little" unnerving.

• I spend a TON of time reflecting and soaking in the little moments that me and the bump have as a duo. If my hustle and bustle was at normal levels, I wouldn't be prioritizing that nearly as much as I am able to right now. It's been a real blessing!

• Delivered and curbside to-go alcoholic beverages are finally a thing AND I CANNOT PARTAKE! What the hell, universe?! THOSE BETTER STILL BE A THING AFTER THIS BABY COMES!

Ryan:

• My work situation is largely unchanged, but my routine when I arrive home has been updated. Remove clothes, wash hands, take shower all immediately after walking through the door to ensure I limit the household's exposure to whatever I may be bringing in. It's both weird and normal, which is both scary and not scary if I'm being honest.

• I come home for lunch, and get to see Rachel instead of an empty house. That's nice.

• I find myself getting irritated by people and their reactions, and I worry more about how it will impact us in the future. Lots of uncertainty and feeling out of control - definitely not my two favorite things.

• Cooking more, because of the extra time at home and being together, has been a positive bonus from the situation. Just more time together in general, too, is a big plus.

As a couple:

• We've always loved running errands together - grocery shopping being a favorite of ours. And now, if Rachel comes at all, she sits in the car while Ryan does the shopping. Mostly, she stays home to limit exposure so a once joint activity is now a solo outing. Boo.

• Before the pandemic was too widespread in the US, Ryan was able to attend the first sonogram. Now, and until further notice, Rachel must go to all appointments alone - including the anatomy scan. This was devastating for us. It's our first pregnancy afterall, and experiencing all of these things together was part of the plan. Now the plan has been set on fire and thrown out the window, and while we're making lemonade out of lemons, it's still probably the hardest part. Video chatting Ryan into appointments while he's sitting in the car in the hospital parking lot is NOT the perfect scenario, but it's manageable. We guess.

• Creating a routine was HARD at first. With Ryan's working situation largely unchanged and Rachel moving to working remotely since mid-March, the house quickly became Grand Central Station for every activity in life. It was difficult to separate working hours from personal time, which caused a few hiccups. After a couple weeks, though, we were able to establish a routine and environment that was productive for both of us. Hallelujah!

• Nesting has been on overdrive with the extra time at home for sure. We have done countless projects - everything from purging all our Earthly possessions to deep cleaning and renovations. It's been so nice to re-create "space", while taking advantage of both the time and Rachel feeling as great as she has all pregnancy.

• We're a pretty social couple (at least with our favorite people), and not being able to spend time in person with those we love during such an exciting and new time has been difficult. Instead of going out to group dinners where we share news and updates organically, we have to send curated texts and make Facebook posts. It doesn't feel as personal as we'd like it to for sure.

• Barely any purchases for Baby have been made, and the Registry is EMPTY. We're "in-person" shoppers who like to touch and play with things, and you can't really do that in the same way online. One day...

• Pushing back (and potentially cancelling) a Babymoon and thinking through what virtual baby events would look like was NOT on our radar at all even before mid-March. We get it. Health & safety comes first, but we have a REALLY awesome Bay-B-Q Shower planned for late July that would be a shame to move online. Zoom can only do so much.

Obviously, it's all just a lot. There's a lot of joy. There's a lot of fear. And there is a LOT of uncertainty. But, all in all, this is our life, and we're incredibly grateful for it - even in its current state. We know everyone, especially expectant parents, are experiencing many of these same things, but also a million others that could be much better or much worse. Even though we're all physically alone, we're all also in this mess together, which will hopefully get us through. Here's hoping for the brightest future possible! Our little one deserves it.