Coronavirus in Scotland: Edinburgh mum starts support group to tackle loneliness after ‘difficult’ lockdown birth

Mother-of-two Bethany Dixon, 24, lives in Corstorphine with her partner Fraser Miller, 23, three-year-old son Cole and lockdown baby Nova born six-months ago.

The new mum said her third trimester was “really quite scary” and a “completely different experience” from her first pregnancy.

She said: “Giving birth during the pandemic was really hard and it was a completely different experience from my first pregnancy.

“I was really scared towards the end of it as there were a lot of different facts coming out and it was at the height of restrictions in the hospitals.”

When Miss Dixon went into labour on Monday, May 6 she had to attend the birthing unit alone.

While her partner was allowed to be present for the birth she said the first-hour spent by herself in hospital was frightening.

She said: “I was terrified, I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for new mums doing it alone.”

Luckily the labour went well and Miss Dixon headed home with newborn Nova five hours after giving birth.

Born into an uncertain world, the first months of Nova’s life were lonely with playgroups cancelled and midwife visits limited.

But with her partner furloughed and a doting extended family waving through the window whenever possible, Miss Dixon said she knew she had it easier than many in the city.

The compassionate mother said: “It's a hard time to be a new mum but I know others are struggling more than me.

"One night when I was feeding my wee girl I saw a post from a fellow Edinburgh mum talking about how she was struggling with postnatal depression after giving birth and that she was all alone.

“I was adamant I was going to do something to help her and others struggling. I thought an online group would be a good idea.”

The same night Miss Dixon set up the Facebook group Meeting Mummies to tackle loneliness with other new mums.

Only seven hours after its launch the page had gained a staggering 240 members.

Now, less than a week on, there are 464 members including the mother who posted the initial message about her post-birth mental health.

Miss Dixon said she ‘cannot believe’ how popular her project has become but added that its popularity shows the need for such a service in the Capital.

Depression among expectant and new mothers has almost tripled during the coronavirus pandemic, new research has found.

A survey of 900 women conducted by the University of Alberta showed that the number of women reporting symptoms of maternal depression has increased to 41 per cent compared to 15 per cent before the outbreak began.

In addition, the number of women expediting moderate to high anxiety symptoms has risen from 29 per cent to 72 per cent.

Miss Dixon hopes her Facebook page help new mums feeling alone and isolated in the city.

She said: “We need to be concerned, postnatal depression is a very serious thing, it can be lonely at the best of times let alone in the pandemic.”

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