Parenting Experts Adjust Services To Virtually Provide Help To New Moms, Families
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For new moms and families, welcoming a baby during the coronavirus pandemic is proving to be stressful, especially when living in isolation.
But experts are finding ways to support parents from a distance.
From birth to baby-proofing, physical distancing and stay-at-home orders mean the in-person, hands-on support parents would normally receive isn't available.
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Denise Bolds is a doula who recently helped a New York woman deliver her baby over the phone when no one was allowed in the delivery room.
"Usually I'm in the labor and delivery room with that mom or that birth person and I'm able to touch them and see ... I had to use more hearing. I had to use a lot of intuition," Bolds said.
Jenni June is a certified child and family sleep consultant. She's also had to move her services into the cyber world.
Instead of her in-home visits, she's working with new parents using video chat.
"We can get on a zoom call for 15 minutes and that's been really helpful. In fact, it's every bit as helpful as me being in their home," she said.
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Jen Saxton is the owner of Tot Squad, a company that connects parents with experts. She has had to pivot from providing hands-on to virtual support.
"We want to help moms all over the country regardless of whether they live near a professional or not," she said.
Her company is virtually helping parents install car seats properly and doing home assessments for baby-proofing.
Everyone is adapting to make sure social distancing doesn't mean parents have to figure it out alone.
