When Pakenham couple Ally and Sammi Kahlon decided they wanted a second child, a global pandemic wasn’t going to stop them from trying.
“We were originally going to have one (child) then all of a sudden we were like ‘okay, nah the other one can fend for herself a bit now and it would be great for her to have someone to grow up with,” Ally said.
“We weren’t too scared. You just think what’s going to happen in the hospital and what the restrictions at the hospital would be.”
The couple fell pregnant. It was all smooth sailing, apart from lockdown forcing Ally to cancel her baby shower.
Olivia Hope Kahlon was born at Casey Hospital on 13 August this year. Restrictions meant that Ally couldn’t have anyone visit in hospital, including her four-year-old daughter Grace.
“I could only have my husband there at the time of the birth. (After the birth) he could only come during visiting hours,” she explained.
Ally was discharged about 24 hours after giving birth and went straight into lockdown at home, which didn’t really bother the family of four.
“For the first six weeks we were all together at home which was nice,” Ally said.
“I kind of think you are in lockdown anyway with a new baby.”
The downside was that extended family members could only meet the newborn on video calls.
Ally said a maternal health nurse still did a home visit shortly after Olivia’s birth. However, she said subsequent maternal health appointments with Olivia were a bit different to the ones she had with Grace.
“They ask you more questions when you’re in the car and then it’s just a quick weigh and measure,” she said.
The only real dilemma Ally faced was getting the jab. She was late into her pregnancy when she was eligible for a Covid vaccine and initially she had some concerns about getting it while breastfeeding.
She ended up getting it when Olivia was nearly two months old.
While having a baby during a pandemic has been pretty uncomplicated for Ally, she said things could have been different if Olivia was her first child.
“I’ve got friends who have had their first babies and it’s been a bit difficult for them,” she said.
