Pregnancy is a happy journey, but it also is a tough one. On top of that, being pregnant amid the pandemic is doubly challenging as there are extra precautions that need to be taken, and, as much as possible, pregnant women should steer clear of being hospitalized until the day of the baby’s delivery.
One mother-to-be did not have any choice but to be on strict bed rest and later on hospitalized because of an emergency.
Shona Moeller, a part-time life coach, a high school teacher, and now 28 weeks pregnant, was advised to stay home and be under strict bed rest after her water broke prematurely just 20 weeks into her pregnancy. Three weeks later, she had to be moved to a Chicago hospital because she needed extra care, but that would mean being apart from her husband, 45-year-old Robert Conlin.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the father-to-be is not allowed to stay by his wife’s side as she waits for her first child, a son, to be born. But, this did not stop the man from making Shona feel reassured.
Once every week, Robert asks his wife for a dinner date and sets up a table adorned with flowers and candles on the sidewalk seen from her window four floors beneath her room. It was a way for them to still find normalcy in the midst of everything that’s been happening around them. For Robert, taking his wife on “date nights” is also another way of letting her know that he’s always there for her.
“I think it’s a little glimpse of some normalcy,” Robert told Good Morning America. “We ask each other on dates all the time still and the first time I came [to the hospital] as a date night, I asked her the same thing, ‘Do you want to go on a dinner date with me?'”
At first, Shona thought that she and her husband would Face Time for dinner and got herself a surprise when he actually showed up for an actual meal!
“In this time where I’m by myself, every gesture feels so monumental and lovely and sweet,” she said. “It felt like he had traveled the world to come see me because it meant so much.”
Shona’s pregnancy was normal up until her 20th week when her water broke prematurely, which required her to stay in bed for three weeks. She needed to do that in order for her not to go into premature labor, which could cost his unborn son’s life, whom they plan to call Forest.
Unfortunately, even after three weeks of staying in bed and carefully handling her situation, Shona still had to be hospitalized. She was admitted to AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale, Illinois and she has been staying there for the past six weeks to await her son’s birth.
“I remember the day before she went into the hospital and we were both just sobbing and I was thinking how could Shona possibly be going through this without me by her side,” Robert said. “It was really sad and scary but we just focused on the baby and tried to make the best of the situation.”
Being far from each other is a challenge for the couple, and Robert, a relationship coach, knew his wife needed all the support and love she could get. He thought of asking her on a date every week to give her something to look forward to and to give her the strength she needed to continue fighting for their son’s life.
“Shona has been really great with sending pictures and Forest gets monitored a few times a day and she calls me every time it happens so I’m able to hear his heartbeat,” added Robert.
Shona is definitely happy to have a husband like Robert, who’s always there for her every step of the way.
“He’s just been a beacon of support,” she said. “He has such a big heart.”
Robert will be allowed in the delivery room when Shona gives birth to their son. He says he’s ready for the big day but until then, this dad-to-be will continue to show his love and support for his wife, despite the walls and floors that go between them.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
