The loneliness of when family can't be there to support you after birth

This has become a common theme for parents during the COVID-19 pandemic especially in the months following childbirth.

This too was the case for Mt Victoria resident Olivia Thomas who gave birth to baby Kaidyn on Monday, March 30.

At the time there were only a few restrictions in place as COVID-19 was just starting to creep into Australia's consciousness.

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"Going to the hospital under these circumstances was always a bit scary, it's one of the last places you want to be when there's a pandemic," she said.

"Having appointments over the phone with midwives and community nurses is also hard because they don't see the full picture."

While isolation has been hard for new mum Olivia, the family have had no visitors, mostly by choice.

"My mum was supposed to come over from New Zealand but the boarders got closed, and now we have no idea when our baby will be able to meet his family," she said.

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Olivia said she had prepared herself for isolation before COVID-19 restrictions were put into place.

"This is my first child so I was prepared for slight isolation as my partner and friends all work during the day so I knew there would be a lot of time where it would just be my son and I, but I wasn't prepared for this type of isolation," she said.

It isn't all bad news, there have been a few positives for the new parents.

"My partner has been able to spend more time with our son than we thought was possible, and we don't have visitors turning up when the baby has just been put down to sleep," she said.

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Due to restrictions, Olivia hasn't been able to make contact with other mothers that may be going through similar experiences.

With groups such as Lithgow's breastfeeding association taking their classes online, Olivia said she thought this was a good idea.

"I didn't know they were doing that, but I think it's a good idea, it gives you something to do and you still have access to support," she said.

This story is part of an on-going series where the Lithgow Mercury looks at how different Mothers have been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic while pregnant or with a newborn baby.