South Jersey Woman Delivered 1st Child Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

A Burlington County woman said she was scared just before she delivered her firstborn child in March during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I was a first-time mom and didn’t know what to expect,” Amanda Sigwart said. “I was worried about the health of my baby, I had never had a surgery before, and we were in the beginning stages of a pandemic. I cried the whole way to the hospital.”

She said her mood changed when she was admitted to the Labor and Delivery floor at Virtua Voorhees. She recalls experiencing a complete sense of calm, coming a long way from the surprising news she had just received moments earlier.

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Sigwart, of Marlton, already knew she was going to have a C-section when she went to see the doctor for her 37th-week appointment. During that appointment, a scan revealed that she had low amniotic fluid. She was told to go directly to Virtua Voorhees Hospital.

On March 23, she gave birth to her first son, Mason Parker Sigwart, health officials said in a release on Monday.

“My labor and delivery nurses were absolutely amazing,” Sigwart said. “They answered all my questions and were with me every step of the way. While my son’s delivery was not what I thought it would be, it was, in fact, the most amazing experience of my life.”

After delivering her son, Sigwart said the time they spent in the hospital was “peaceful and serene.” Due to the health system’s restrictions surrounding the coronavirus, no visitors were allowed to come see them. Amanda and her husband, Chuck, were able to spend quiet time with their son.

That quiet time allowed the Sigwarts to absorb everything the nurses taught them about the post-partum phase for Amanda and caring for an infant. The new parents spent their time playing their favorite country music songs and getting to know their son.

“We created so many amazing memories during our time at Virtua,” Amanda Sigwart said. “We were in a hospital, which could have been the most chaotic, scariest place to be during a pandemic — but it was the exact opposite. The nurses never uttered a word about the virus and made us feel so comfortable. We felt very safe in our own little bubble.”

Since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, health officials said 2,106 babies have been born at Virtua hospitals.

Below are the precautions in place at the mother/baby units of Virtua Memorial, Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes, and Virtua Voorhees hospitals.

• All women delivering at Virtua are tested for COVID-19.
• Virtua staff wear masks and eyewear at all times. Patients are required to wear masks when interacting with the staff.
• The amount of staff going in and out of patient rooms is limited to minimize unessential interaction.
• New moms are limited to one person who must stay at Virtua for the entire time that mom and baby are in the hospital.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know