“My name is E. I found out I was pregnant when I was in Romania. When I went back to Edinburgh it was a little hard because I didn’t have a place to stay, but it was a beautiful life experience because I found out I was pregnant. It was very hard at first because I used to live in the hotel where I worked. I went to stay with my brother-in-law after being pregnant for 5 months. From the first month when I found out that I was pregnant, I had nausea and was vomiting. Because I didn’t have a fixed address, I wasn’t registered with a GP so it took time before I could have a scan. Then I found that I was going to have a baby boy. It was the greatest joy to find out I would be a mother again after 12 years; a mother to a boy.

The lockdown started at this time.  I called the MCFB office and I asked for help. They put me in touch with one of their Early Years workers. I was worried because of the virus and I thought I would have nowhere to live with my baby. My worker helped me, she contacted the Housing Department and I had an appointment with the homeless team.  I was offered temporary accommodation where I stayed for the last two months of my pregnancy. It was difficult because I like going outside and I couldn’t.

When my labour started, I thought I would have to go to hospital alone. The midwife didn’t tell me that my partner could come. It was only when I got into the ambulance that I was told that he could come in with me. I thought I would to go on my own. It felt scary. At the hospital, my partner had to wait outside. My labour lasted about 2 hours. When the midwife knew the baby was coming, she asked if I wanted my partner to come in the room. I thought I would give birth alone, because of the virus. I didn’t understand, I didn’t have an Interpreter. When he arrived, I was at the pushing stage. It was really difficult, but when I saw my baby boy it was the happiest moment.

After the birth, I felt alone because my partner couldn’t be there, no visitors were allowed to come, no one could visit me. It was more difficult because I had to stay longer in hospital. Since the birth… it has not possible to have visitors at home, maybe I would have liked to have some. I can’t imagine what the future will be like. Every day it changes…. I’m scared of the virus for my baby. When my baby is bigger, I will explain to him what was happening at the time of his birth”.

As Isabelle, E's project worker, wondered with E what her baby son may have felt arriving in our world at this strange time, she shared:
“He’s just opened his eyes, he’s looking at me”.
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June 2020