A baby delivery brings joy to a local couple during a global pandemic
Jul 20, 2020 06:08AM ● By Editor
Photo submitted by Hunter MacLaurin
Exclusive to Boreal Community Media - July 20, 2020.
Expecting a baby during normal times can bring about a roller coaster of emotions. Events such as baby showers, shopping outings for baby gear, and being able to be out are now being replaced with concerns about masks, hand sanitizers, and local COVID-19 cases. One local couple, Juston Bystrom and Hunter MacLaurin, experienced many joys and challenges while pregnant with their third child during a global pandemic. Keeping their beloved family healthy and safe was a priority. With so much new information coming from various medical sources, fear is a common emotion for so many expectant parents across the world. According to the CDC, "Based on what we know at this time, pregnant people might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant people".
According to Hunter, COVID-19 affected her prenatal doctor's visits drastically, as Juston was not able to accompany her to the visits due to patient restrictions with her physician's office. Even the delivery experience was different with this pregnancy, as Juston was the only family member allowed to be present for the delivery. (At one point, they were worried that he may not even be allowed at the hospital for the delivery as hospital restrictions could change at any given time.) Throughout their hospital stay when their daughter was born, they stayed positive and used that time to bond with their newborn daughter, Teagan, before bringing her home to introduce her to her two big sisters, Pyper and Ariella.
Now that they are home, they are trying to keep a sense of normalcy, even with all the changes in the world due to COVID-19. Because of the pandemic, they do not travel to Duluth or Minneapolis as much as they used to. When they do go to Duluth for supplies, they either get a baby-sitter or Juston stays home to watch the girls, as they no longer bring them along. When COVID-19 cases first started appearing in the US, they were very cautious due to Juston's asthma. They did not allow visitors and limited outings. Nowadays, they do allow visitors but practice social distancing to keep everyone safe. At first, their daughters did not understand all of the new lifestyle changes but are now being accustomed to the new "normal".
Congratulations Juston and Hunter! We are so happy that your baby arrived safely into this world!
Exclusive to Boreal Community Media - July 20, 2020.
Expecting a baby during normal times can bring about a roller coaster of emotions. Events such as baby showers, shopping outings for baby gear, and being able to be out are now being replaced with concerns about masks, hand sanitizers, and local COVID-19 cases. One local couple, Juston Bystrom and Hunter MacLaurin, experienced many joys and challenges while pregnant with their third child during a global pandemic. Keeping their beloved family healthy and safe was a priority. With so much new information coming from various medical sources, fear is a common emotion for so many expectant parents across the world. According to the CDC, "Based on what we know at this time, pregnant people might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 compared to non-pregnant people".
According to Hunter, COVID-19 affected her prenatal doctor's visits drastically, as Juston was not able to accompany her to the visits due to patient restrictions with her physician's office. Even the delivery experience was different with this pregnancy, as Juston was the only family member allowed to be present for the delivery. (At one point, they were worried that he may not even be allowed at the hospital for the delivery as hospital restrictions could change at any given time.) Throughout their hospital stay when their daughter was born, they stayed positive and used that time to bond with their newborn daughter, Teagan, before bringing her home to introduce her to her two big sisters, Pyper and Ariella.
Now that they are home, they are trying to keep a sense of normalcy, even with all the changes in the world due to COVID-19. Because of the pandemic, they do not travel to Duluth or Minneapolis as much as they used to. When they do go to Duluth for supplies, they either get a baby-sitter or Juston stays home to watch the girls, as they no longer bring them along. When COVID-19 cases first started appearing in the US, they were very cautious due to Juston's asthma. They did not allow visitors and limited outings. Nowadays, they do allow visitors but practice social distancing to keep everyone safe. At first, their daughters did not understand all of the new lifestyle changes but are now being accustomed to the new "normal".
Congratulations Juston and Hunter! We are so happy that your baby arrived safely into this world!
