When Lisa Skippen went to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) on Saturday to give birth to her baby, she had a very different experience than expected.
“The climate is a little eerie at the hospital, because there are no visitors coming in and out, or volunteers. There’s no hustle and bustle of a hospital,” said Skippen. “I know there are a lot of ladies out there right now that are fearing going in.”
Originally from Collingwood and a Collingwood Collegiate Institute graduate, Skippen now lives in Bradford. While she has three children from a previous relationship, her newborn son, Maverick, is her first with her boyfriend Josh.
On Saturday, Skippen was booked to be induced, as she had passed her due date by about a week.
“It may seem scary because when you get there, you’re stopped and asked a bunch of questions. There are no visitors allowed except your support person,” said Skippen. “People are worried about that because they say no visitors, but your one support person is not considered a visitor and can stay the entire time.”
Skippen said everything was completely sanitary, and she and her boyfriend were only required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they were outside their private room. She said nurses and doctors wore PPE at all times she saw them.
When giving birth previously, Skippen said there would be people in and out of the room constantly between nurses, doctors, family and friends. With COVID-19 restrictions in place and limited access to their private room allowed, she said the experience was much less chaotic.
“It was actually the most relaxing time I’ve ever had giving birth,” said Skippen, with a laugh. “The nurses were fantastic; they’re the friendliest people in the world. You’re stuck in your room for 24 hours, but it became a bonding thing.”
As food services at the RVH are currently suspended, Skippen said hospital staff do allow you to order food delivery using the Skip the Dishes app.
Looking forward, one thing Skippen is sad about is her extended family not getting to meet her baby right away.
“My birth experience is a bit tarnished because my brother can’t come and hold my baby. (Our families) can only see the baby at a distance,” she said. “You want to be able to share this experience with your family or the people who are the most important to you. You can do it through social media, but it’s not the same.”
At the same time, Skippen said there are a few upsides to being in self-isolation with her boyfriend and their newborn.
“This also gives us some time to relax and for me to heal. When you have lots of visitors coming to the hospital or coming into your home, sometimes you worry about having to entertain,” she said. “Right now, you don’t have to worry about that.”
Overall, Skippen hopes to reassure moms-to-be that the experience isn’t as scary as they may think.
“There’s no fear in there. I mean, when you go in you’re thinking of all this stuff that could happen, but Barrie (RVH staff) did a great job of making me feel comfortable and at home,” she said. “They are equipped there and they’re awesome.”
“It’s important to focus on the positives in this situation. If you focus on the negatives, you’ll drive yourself crazy,” she added with a laugh.
