Laura’s family in the UK were due to fly out to support her with the birth of her twins in May, but COVID-19 threw a spanner into that plan. With New Zealand’s border essentially closed under Alert Level 4, her family members cancelled their travel.
Laura and her husband David have lived in New Zealand for 12 years and originally hail from the United Kingdom.
Over the past five years, they have expanded their family to include a now five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter. Then in May 2020, the number of children in the family doubled in size with the arrival of twins – a boy and a girl.
Instead of being surrounded with broader family support Laura gave birth to her twins during COVID-19 Alert Level 3 and was quickly back at home with all four children.
This was when Bellyful stepped in. Bellyful cooks and delivers meals to families with newborn babies and families with young children who are struggling with illness, where there is little or no family or social support.
Laura was referred to Bellyful by the Multiple Births Club and under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, was able to be delivered three meals with enough left over for lunches. Given the unique situation in which Laura and her husband welcomed their new twins, the arrival of meals at the door was a godsend.
“We are so busy in the evenings with trying to feed everyone. Having the delicious freezer meals relieved the stress. All new mums should have access to this amazing service. I’d tell anyone who needs some support to definitely get in touch with them.”
Laura further reflects that Bellyful is a great resource for New Zealand. “It alleviates a lot of stress and pressure on people, knowing there are meals to grab when everything goes to custard. This is an amazing resource, especially for those without a broader family network.”
It is likely to be some time before Laura’s family can visit and meet the new additions to the family. But in the meantime, Laura has been referred again to Bellyful by a friend and is already looking forward to the peace of mind it will bring for those super busy evenings with four little ones.
Words by Rebecca Foley
Image supplied
