‘MAFS’: Jamie Otis Plans Home Birth Amid Coronavirus
Married At First Sight stars Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are expecting their second child. They have one daughter, Hensley, who’s two years old. The baby is due to arrive sometime in May. The MAFS couple has already revealed that it’s a boy, and they’re working on name ideas. On social media, they share regular updates on the pregnancy.
Jamie is a labor and delivery nurse. So, naturally, the couple was planning on a hospital birth. Jamie said, “You learn in nursing school that the safest place is the hospital to have a baby because then they have everything there handy, God forbid [an emergency] happens last minute.”
But, due to the coronavirus, the MAFS couple started looking into other options. Because of the coronavirus, hospitals are limiting the number of people in a room. And, this is affecting labor and delivery too. Some parents-to-be are having to make some pretty difficult decisions. Some aren’t able to have their own parents in the delivery room. Others are skipping the doula or birth photographer.
Nearly a week ago, Jamie shared a “bumpdate” on Instagram and showed off her 34-week bump. In the picture, Doug is “pumping up” her stomach with a bicycle tire pump. On a more serious note, in the caption of that post, Jamie writes, “We’re still researching every single option for the safest delivery for our family right now … we are leaning heavily towards a home birth….🤱🏻”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-iaKKshSRK/
MAFS couple talks about their decision to have a home birth
Now, it seems that Jamie and Doug have made an official decision on the matter. The couple talked to PeopleTV via video chat. They ultimately decided to go with a home birth because “the pros outweighed the cons.”
Doug explains that they really thought this over. They understand that it’s a big decision, so they took their time and researched it. Doug says, “The fact that I may or may not be able to be a support person at the delivery in the hospital [and] what do we do with our daughter if I can’t leave the hospital? At least with our house, we know it’s a more controlled environment.”
Jamie also expresses her own fears, saying, “What if my baby contracts it and he’s stuck in a hospital in the midst of this pandemic? … It was just a nightmare.”
The couple is likely even more concerned due to their history of losses. Unfortunately, Jamie lost a pregnancy at 17 weeks gestation. She also had a chemical pregnancy and a miscarriage. So, making it so far in her pregnancy is a big deal. They want to ensure their baby stays safe.
Even though Jamie and Doug have decided to have a home birth this time, Jamie doesn’t expect everyone to do the same. She doesn’t think home births are better than hospital births or vice versa. She suggests “educating yourself, and finding out what’s best for you and your family.”
So, what do you think of Jamie and Doug’s decision? Share your thoughts below.
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