Motherhood in Lockdown

When I first heard about Coronavirus, I didn’t give it much thought to be honest.

So, news of the lockdown and realities of our restrictions crept up on me. Up until the official lockdown, the most inconvenient thing for me was a cancelled work trip abroad which I’d been planning for months. Then it dawned on me how it’d affect so many other parts of my life - especially preparing for my second child. Things to others that may seem superficial but mean a lot to us expectant moms – baby showers, shopping trips, showing off our bumps in maternity clothes, maternity photo shoots have all been cancelled. I’m sad because this is my husband and my planned last pregnancy and I really wanted to celebrate it as much as I could.

It’s an especially scary and uncertain time for mothers right now. My heart aches for the first time mamas who, despite there being a recent lift in the selling of baby essentials, may still not get the support from their villages. It’s a hard time for many financially, and the lockdown means family and friends can’t help the same way they could normally. Hospitals around the world aren’t allowing partners in delivery rooms. I had my moments of panic, mourning the experiences I won’t have and I’m still up and down. It hasn’t been easy being a pregnant full-time stay at home working mom with my three year old out of school, without our helper, support from family and friends. A lot of our plans for 2020 have had to shift – we were supposed to start renovating our house last month to have more room for Baby O, potentially travel at the end of the year and take our businesses to the next level.  

Despite it all, I remain grateful and hopeful. This baby I’m carrying was the light I didn’t know my husband and I needed. We’re so looking forward to meeting this new member of our family and making our son the big brother we know he was born to be. I’m grateful that President Ramaphosa has implemented rules and laws in place to protect us from a potentially bigger disaster.

And I’m hopeful that my baby will arrive into a safer world.

Aisha O’Reilly

@aishaandlife

Photographer credit: Robyn Davie