Life in the Time of Corona
When I found out that I was going to have a baby, I knew that I wanted to try and document the labour and delivery. I anticipated it being difficult, what I didn’t anticipate was it also happening during a global pandemic.
The challenge of giving birth in a foreign country where my handle on the language is tenuous at best had already been looming for the entirety of the pregnancy, then COVID-19 hit. Prague shut down. We were told not to come to the hospital beforehand, so all those normal pre-birth classes/tours/etc were not available to us. For a time, fathers weren’t allowed at the delivery. Luckily, that restriction was lifted by the time it was relevant for us. However, after delivery, I was on my own. No visitors for the entirety of my hospital stay.
Everyone’s birth story is different. Mine was, well, more intense than I care to revisit. In fact, it’s taken me over a month to even get up the wits to look at the photos I made. There are large gaps in time which I not only didn’t photograph, but also of which I have no recollection.
The following is what I could capture. 17 hours of labour and delivery from my perspective, followed by three days of a hospital stay straight out of a Kesey novel.
29 May 2020
02:17:51 | At home.
02:48:56 | Tracking contractions.
04:30:47 | Getting ready.
05:21:26 | Sunrise.
05:24:22 | Time check.
07:27:13 | Out the door.
07:34:47 | Time check.
07:37:14 | Pass the castle.
07:39:42 | Pass the museum.
07:39:49 | Pass Vaclav.
07:58:13 | Arrive at the hospital.
08:00:56 | Checking in.
08:01:43 | Finding the way.
08:02:27 | Passing by.
08:03:45 | Going up.
08:04:16 | Taking in the view.
08:05:39 | Ringing the bell.
09:52:45 | Admitted to The Box.
09:53:30 | The Box details.
09:53:53 | Time check.
12:08:08 | Fresh air.
12:09:52 | View from the ball.
12:10:02 | The ball.
12:10:22 | Blue skies.
12:10:41 | Proper cleaning method.
15:58:45 | Iodine
15:59:15 | IV
Some time later.
He was born not breathing and immediately taken away.
Was brought back ten minutes later.
17:57:23 | Measurement
18:17:28 | First sight. That night, only sight.
20:06:46 | Inedible.
20:06:50 | Time check.
20:30:12 | Say our goodbyes.
20:43:20 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
21:06:12 | Recap.
30 May 2020
06:11:19 | Reunited. Only briefly.
20:46:24 | Sunset.
31 May 2020
12:28:21 | Reminders.
12:31:53 | Reunited: Take Two.
12:32:16 | Through the Looking Glass.
01 June 2020
13:41:04 | Home. Finally.
13:45:23 | Reunited. Complete.
Some time later.
15 June 2020 | 12:38:49 | Registered.
15 June 2020 | 12:59:12 | Showing the city.
One month later.
29 June 2020 | 17:29:26 | Bright Eyes.