Missing out on precious, short baby time

My Daughter is due to have her 3rd baby in six weeks. She is alone with the children. She will want my help when she is in labour to take her to the hospital, sort out the children, be her as a birthing partner, take her and baby home after. Then help her afterwards. I am 66 and my partner is 79 with underlying health issues. I just don't know what to do to be safe for everyone concerned or how to sort out help for her if I cannot be there.

Was wondering about the effects of social isolation on a toddler as my granddaughter is 15 months and not been sleeping well over last 2 weeks or eating as her busy schedules changed. Did not want finished her by doing video calls. But life is too short for thinking like that. Will only have virtual contact when my grandson arrives early May - my other daughters first child. That will be so very very hard.

I think that in some ways it is a good thing that parents of newborns have to stay at home, at least the baby will have a slow introduction to the world instead of being dragged around supermarkets, pubs and baby groups within days of coming into the world. It is sad that fammily members will have to wait for that first cuddle but you wont love the baby any less, many people have new Grandchildren born abroad and dont get to see them for months or even years. Enjoy the cuddles when you get them

My littlest DGS seems to have got used to us popping up on FaceTime now. The first couple of times he kept asking if he could come to where you are, Nanna, in Mummy’s laptop.

We’re all giving Zoom a try later today (our four households). Hope it works well. What I really fancy is a Portal, but I’m not sure whether we’d all have to have one to get the full benefit.

You're right we have to master technology, we tried zoom last week which was great. Missing 15 month granddaughter who we had lots not contact with and she would run to me for cuddles and picking up. Was not sure about video calls in case it confused and upset her. But that seems to be silly as that is how it is for now. It's these shared snippets of real life that help. That show WE too must change and adapt.

A new born and a toddler and a keyworker, plus isolation for 12weeks. That's a true challenge. Congratulations and applause to them and your family. My daughter is 33 weeks pregnant, we aren't sure what happens when the baby arrives, we didn't know that it would be 12 weeks of isolation. We will have to learn how to prepare for that mentally.

My nephew and his wife have just had a baby, they also have a just two year old. My nephew had to go back to work when baby was 2 days old as it’s a new job and they are making parts for ventilators. They have been advised to see no one for 12 weeks so Mum is coping with a newborn and. a young toddler alone. She is doing brilliantly without a word of complaint and my sister says she is a star.
Toddler is in real nappies and she was going to get some pull-ups to make it easier but couldn’t thanks to hoarders. ?

I know I am lucky to have looked after all my grandchildren over the past 13 years but I do miss their kisses and cuddles (and elbow bumps over the past few weeks). We are so lucky to have the technology these days to keep in touch. I have worked hard to (nearly) master Facetime, Whats App and Skype so still get to see their faces. The first time I saw 1 year old grandson just start walking on Skype was amazing and when he put his hands on his head seeing me on screen I was delighted. That is part of the actions we did when singing Hickory Dickory Dock and proved he knew who I was. That was so special especially when his Dad didn't know why he did that.

I feel sad too. I miss my little grandchildren terribly. I have two and was so looking forward to having them both together with their parents at Easter but it's not going to happen. We're skyping, Zooming and Housepartying though so I do get to see and talk to them. It's a strange and unsettling time and so hard for families kept apart. In wartime, I know the men were away, but the rest of the family, and friends, had each other for comfort and strength. Knowing you can't be with a seriously ill loved one, or say goodbye to them, is terrible indeed.

I know we are not meant to hark back to war time, but think of all the dads who didn’t meet new children for years maybe back then.

I think it's far easier to stay away and chat on the phone or Skype. We have to be brave and remember that we're saving precious lives.

Affirmative - in adversity comes change. The new parents will have their own special bonding time to learn about their child and how to be parents. We can improve our IT skills -vlog? Blog, facetime? Thank you for hearing me

Now that the valid reasons for leaving home have been clarified, you probably wouldn’t be allowed to drive to your daughter’s. I’m so sorry.

Welcome to GN, Maybellex.

I sympathise, I really do, but you are quite right in saying that you can’t look after your granddaughter, and you must keep your distance from them all. It’s for their safety as well as for yours. If you’ve a car, though, perhaps you could arrange to take your daughter’s baby things over and leave them outside (in a few weeks time if you’ve been self-isolating because of cold symptoms), but you mustn’t be tempted to get close to her. Hard though it is, as a pregnant woman she’s vulnerable too.

This too will pass.

Hi I'm new here ''and so upset today and missing my granddaughter who I saw every week sometimes every day she's 15 months. Her Dad can work at home but Mum works for a bank and is required to go in. WHY? My Granddaughter can still go to nursery 2 days a week but is that safe. Am I right in saying I cant go and look after her now?
My other daughter is 33 weeks pregnant and we were busy gathering nappies, clothes, baby milk and getting equipment out of lofts. I've still got them - how do we transfer them to her 15 miles away?
Have been self isolating for nearly 2 weeks as I had a cold. When that is over could I think about staying with one of my daughters? Which one would it be? So confusing and heart wrenching .

Have with modern technology to sing happy birthday to grandson today he is 3 so don't think he could understand how both sets of grandparents could see him blow out candles daughter protected cake with a plastic film it's a very confusing time for them isn't it ?

So sad for all of you. It is hard for all of us grannies, whether little ones are near or far. I miss mine terribly; the ones in town that i usually see on a Sunday, and the ones out of town that I was scheduled to visit on Easter. Little ones grow so fast.

But we all need to be diligent with facetime or skype so we can interact and they hear our voices and see the love on our faces! Dig out your books and silly songs. My heart goes out to those missing their first cuddles.

My new great granddaughter is only 3 and a half weeks, at this rate she`ll be walking before I see her again!

Thanks, fellow grannies! We're all in this together and hopefully we'll soon be able to 'fill out boots' with catch-up cuddles!

That will be good for them as a family, Greenfinch. We do have to look for the silver linings.

I am with you Maggiemaybe.It will be the sixth for us and the fourth in that particular family. The only good thing is that the older children will be home from school and nursery and some good bonding will go on within the family.

I’m sad too for all the new parents, particularly the first-timers, who should be looking forward to enjoying getting out and about with their babies in the Spring and Summer, meeting up with others, going to the baby groups and making new friends. It’s a different world now.

My DGS5 is due in three short weeks, just a few miles away, and I’m trying not to think about it too much.

I’m well aware that grandparents with families far distant or estranged have always had this sadness and I’m thankful that I could share so much of the precious baby stage of the other four. But it still hurts, and we can’t help that.

I’m thankful for the tech we have that will keep us all in touch with each other.

Mine is yet to be born so will miss all of her early few months and the family only live a few miles away