Moms Share Photos When They Saw Their Babies For The First Time During The Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it new hospital childbirth protocols and moms often find themselves giving birth alone. This makes seeing their babies for the first time even more special — despite the extra set of challenges, their long wait is finally over.

Heartwarming photos of moms meeting their babies for the first time

On our Facebook page, we asked moms to send us photos of themselves meeting their little ones for the first time, along with their unique childbirth stories. Here are some of the raw, emotional, and sweet images we received:

“This is the reality”

Some moms have time to put on their kilay before childbirth, but others aren’t as lucky. “What I had in mind before giving birth was to have our photos taken that would be Insta-worthy. But giving birth at 35 during a pandemic where I have to be on my own and enduring a no-epidural, 17-hour labor is really stressful,” shares mom Sarah Andres-Aterrado.

 She adds, “I felt so ugly at that time. I just wanted to rest. But with the support and help of my husband, family, and in-laws, I was able to recover sooner than expected that the photoshoots now come nonstop!”

“My hubby waited at the parking lot”

Pre-pandemic, very few hospitals allowed fathers to be in the delivery room. When the quarantines started, moms needed to be even stronger for their babies because they would be doing it alone.

“I gave birth last April 2021 in the midst of ECQ,” mom Pearl Bata tells SmartParenting.com.ph. “I was alone in the High Risk Pregnancy Unit but good thing I can move around and use my phone to update my hubby na nag-aantay sa parking lot.”

“Muntik pa akong mapa-anak sa labor room dahil mabilis ang transition ng labor ko. Buti na lang mabilis ko rin nadeliver si baby.

“Ang hirap mag-push while wearing a face mask and face shield, but I’m very happy kahit wala si hubby sa tabi ko successful ang delivery ko and healthy si baby. She’s our third baby!”

“Motherhood is life-changing”

Eden Ocenar-Maramag was looking forward to giving birth when tragedy struck during her third trimester. Her husband tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be isolated for two weeks. Thankfully, the mom’s test results were negative. 

At 40 weeks, Eden was scheduled for a Cesarean section because her cervix failed to dilate. She gave birth in November 2020 to a son they named Cullen Alpha. “Motherhood is indeed life-changing,” she shares.

“I felt guilty becoming pregnant so soon”

Marian Candace Jinahon's son was only 15 months old when she found out she was pregnant with their second baby. “I started to cry. I felt guilty for being pregnant so soon. I felt like I took away my firstborn’s babyhood too early,” she shares.

Despite feeling mom guilt, Marian feels blessed that her pregnancy was healthy despite being unable to have regular prenatal checkups. “I just opted to give birth in our local hospital even with so many doubts and fears at the back of my mind,” she says.

“Somehow this also changed my perspective: to appreciate the things we have and be thankful for the small things that we used to neglect every day.”

“I didn’t want another child”

Mom Ginny Guevarra-Agsaluna admits that her second pregnancy was difficult, not only because of hyperemesis gravidarum but because she thought she wasn’t ready for another baby.

“No one asked me how I felt,” she tells Smart Parenting in an email. “My goals suddenly changed, my plans seemed to halt, and I just felt that I wasn’t ready.”

Undergoing Cesarean section was another challenge. “I expected that it would be swift and painless. However, it was incredibly painful even with the epidural anesthesia,” she recalls.

But as they say, a baby changes you forever. Ginny gave birth to her daughter, Mavis Noelle, in December 2020. Slowly, the mom is adjusting to her role taking care of a toddler and a newborn.

“Being a mother is a privilege,” she says. “Being loved by them is a treasure.”

“Our miracle”

Nile Deocampo had to deliver her baby via C-section because he was in breech position. She considers their son an “unexpected miracle and blessing,” since she lost a lot of blood during the operation and had to go through blood transfusion. 

“I was advised to get another bag of blood but due to the COVID scare, we opted to just go home and take necessary supplements in order to regain strength. Now, my baby is already 10 months old and I am back to normal,” she shares.

“Nagmamadali ang batang ito!”

Despite the struggles she faced during the pandemic, Ravenna Vitto still managed to laugh as she remembered her childbirth story last July 2020. She had 24 hours of labor, but it suddenly progressed at the tail end

“Nagmamadali ang batang ito! May lakad talaga siya,” the mom recalls. “Ako, tulala na lang.

“Sobrang masakit! Mahirap! But God equipped me with all the strength I needed to bear this child,” she shares.

See more photos of moms meeting their babies for the first time here.

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