In an exclusive interview with HELLO! magazine, pregnant television presenter Sarah-Jane Mee has revealed she is opting for a home birth in light of the coronavirus lockdown. The Sky News presenter was due to give birth in London's St Thomas' Hospital but is concerned that her fiancé Ben Richardson won't be able to join her until the last moments of labour, which are the current guidelines.
"I don't want to be walking into hospital on my own to have this baby, so I am considering a home birth," she tells HELLO! in an exclusive interview from her home, adding that she has already ordered the birthing pool. "I have an amazing midwife and I've been using this incredible hypnobirthing teacher called Katharine Graves, and they have been getting my head together.
© Photo: HELLO!Sarah-Jane Mee is expecting her first child
"I had never considered it before but, because of everything that's going on, it makes me feel more relaxed to think about having the baby at home, rather than Ben not being able to come into the ward until the very final moment. I think my plan A now is a home birth. I have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and I am very healthy, so there's no reason for me not to have it."
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Sarah-Jane said her and Ben's lives were turned upside down in a matter of hours when restrictions came into effect. "Everything caught us by surprise. I left work one night, saying to my team: 'I'll see you in two weeks' time!' as I was meant to be on leave. But as we watched the Prime Minister that night, we realised the holiday had to be cancelled. Then he said pregnant women were in the vulnerable category, which meant I immediately had to work from home. It was a really bizarre 24 hours – my life literally changed in a couple of minutes."
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But she has now got her head round the situation and has adopted an impressively positive attitude to lockdown. "Being allowed outside for a daily walk has got my head straight," she says. "I have been trying to find the positives: the slower pace of life and spending more time with Ben. I have been concentrating on that and it has really helped."
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"We have spent quality time together – when else would we go for an hour's walk together every day? It's weird but we're also finding the beauty in it; the Thames has never been so still, there are ducks and you can hear birdsong. It's really calm and really nice." Read the full interview and see the photos in next week's issue of HELLO! magazine.
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