Born in a pandemic: Regina couple describes experience with twins

Giving birth to twins during the COVID-19 outbreak was not something Whitney Stinson was expecting.

Stinson and Sean Lerat-Stetner, who work together at Global News Regina, welcomed their baby girls Nina and Rose a few weeks ago.

Hospital policies have changed to allow only one support person to be in the delivery room. That person has to be screened for any symptoms of COVID-19 and isn’t allowed to leave and then return to the hospital.

“It’s weird to give birth in a hospital that is kind of on lockdown,” Stinson told the Greg Morgan Morning Show earlier this week.

Lerat-Stetner’s mother had isolated herself for weeks before the birth as a safety measure so she could help with the couple’s two-year-old son, Cruz, while the couple stayed at the hospital. But when Grandma wound up with a cough, her plans to help out were over.

“Personally, because we did have a longer hospital stay and we do have a toddler at home, (Sean) had to go and then was not allowed back on the unit after that,” Stinson said.

One of the twins had to stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit for a week, so she didn’t meet her twin sister for a week and visiting back and forth was very strange. Stinson explained the NICU is the only hospital unit still allowing parents to visit their newborns and there are strict screening measures in place.

“When you go into the hospital, you have a security bracelet and someone checks you when you go in downstairs and then you go back up to NICU and someone checks you again, screens you for COVID before you go into the unit,” Stinson said. “It was a very strange experience.”

Now both girls are home and the new family of five is adjusting to life with two newborns, a toddler and none of the outside help from relatives for which they were originally planning.

“When you’re expecting twins, everybody always tells you to accept all the help but then during a pandemic all the help disappears,” Stinson explained.

Stinson said the grandparents were very upset about not being able to help out and hold the new babies. So on Easter weekend, she invited them over for a window visit to meet their new granddaughters.

“It was a pretty emotional experience for me and my partner as well,” Stinson said. “That’s not how you want to introduce your twins to your close family members. You want to be able to share them with people. It’s just very strange.”