Former Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew has opened up about the struggles of becoming a new parent during the coronavirus pandemic.
As Bartholomew and her husband Neil Varcoe are hunkering down on the family farm in Warramba, NSW, they’ve had time to reflect on the “strange summer” to become a parent to a newborn.
“It's been such a strange summer to become a new parent,” Bartholomew said to Australian Women’s Weekly.
“But I've found it really comforting that, when the world is chaotic outside, the day to day of being a mum doesn't change.
“No matter who you are or where you live or what you do for a living, the experience of loving a baby is universal. We are changing nappies, worrying about sleep, cleaning up baby dribble. It's the same for everyone.”
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She also spoke to Sunrise co-hosts Samantha Armytage and David Koch about the new family’s experiences.
“All the perils and ups and downs of being a new mum, it’s a beautiful distraction during this time, that’s for sure,” she said.
“Because Molly came in December, we had that first month or so when friends could drop over and mum and dad could come to the hospital to give her a cuddle.
“I really feel for new mums now who don’t get that experience – it’s hard.
“Hopefully in the next few months that will all ease and we can all have a chance to reunite again.”
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“We set up a thing called ‘Stay Home Mums,’ which is a simple Instagram account and private Facebook group in which people can share photos and ask questions,” she said.
“It’s for all the mums who don’t have the chance to have a mother’s group.
“It’s an amazing community that’s grown exponentially over the last few months.
“We’ve been doing antenatal classes, exercise classes, recipes, all sorts of things,” she said. “It’s nice to see people seeking that support when unfortunately in these times they don’t have it in an official capacity.”
This article originally appeared on Over60.