S1 Episode 9. Unmasked: Pregnancy in the Pandemic

In 2019 Alex and her husband were deliberating their plans for 2020. Would the newlyweds travel overseas or start a family? Deciding on the latter, they were thrilled to discover they were pregnant soon after. But accompanying them on their first trimester journey were news stories that grew more urgent by the day, warning them of a terrifying new virus that was spreading around the world. By the time she reached the half way point of her pregnancy, Alex, a midwife herself, faced a pregnancy experience that was nothing like she had ever hoped or imagined. Facing birth in Stage 4 Lockdown restrictions in Melbourne, without her family able to support her, and with hospital rules constantly changing, Alex chose to birth at home with her husband and private midwife. However the restrictions associated with the pandemic continued to present myriad stressful and unpredictable obstacles during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. In this episode, Alex shares a story that is familiar to so many women having a baby in Australia in 2020 and 2021. Episode 9 of Pregnancy Uncut delves into the frightening and isolating reality of being a pregnant woman during a pandemic, and explores how the effects of this unprecedented change in maternity care may be felt for generations.