ASK any mum who has had a baby during COVID-19 and they will tell you it was a time like no other.
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From restricted antenatal appointments, to no hospital visitors, to introducing baby to family and friends by FaceTime - it has changed the nature of becoming a new parent.
Ballarat mother-of-two and entrepreneur, Laura Feldman, has captured those realities, turning her experience into a children's book.
Lockdown Baby was written to show her daughter Winnie and other COVID babies what life was like when they were born.
Already the book has sold hundreds of copies and is now being sold by book retailers nationally.
Laura, who owns a wedding business, felt the brunt of lockdowns, with events and weddings banned.
And like many new mums during COVID, losing her support networks along with constant lockdowns and sleep deprivation created a recipe for postnatal depression.
"Pregnancy was isolating. Then having a new baby, but being unable to have face-to-face appointments, play dates and catch up with other parents made it really hard," she said.
New mums really need that support from professionals and each other to know they're not on their own.
- Laura Feldman
"New mums really need that support from professionals and each other to know they're not on their own," she said.
Laura has described her personal experience in depth on her Facebook page, Little Ivory Haus, as a way to show other mums they're not alone.
On the positive side, COVID has meant more time at home as a family to create memories with Winnie and son Teddy.
"I hope parents can enjoy reading this book with their children when they are a bit older and understand what this time was like for us," she said.
"We have to remind ourselves that we are lucky and looking at our kids reminds us that we have everything we really need, right under our roof."