Via video link, a family welcomes new member born in Gibraltar under lockdown

Their baby girl was born on a Monday morning and, within a matter of hours, swaddled in a soft clean cloth she was cradled in her mother’s arms as she left the maternity wing of the hospital.

But this is not the Lindo Wing and another Royal birth, this is the story of the first baby to have been born on the Rock since the Covid-19 lockdown. This is the story of Nina and her family.

Rosavita Venuti and her partner Emilio had been anticipating the arrival of their first child for months. Preparations were made and family members were due to fly in and celebrate the birth of their daughter.

But like other family events enduring disruption due to coronavirus, Nina’s birth was no different.

“Nina was the first baby born with the new [lockdown] procedure, just six to eight hours in the hospital,” said new mother Ms Venuti, an Italian yoga teacher who made Gibraltar her home.

“We left the hospital in the same day,” she added, admitting she was somewhat scared by the whole experience. A natural feeling for any new mother having given birth for the first time, yet alone under these circumstances.

With Nina safe at home, like the rest of the Rock, it was time for the new parents to adjust to their new life and to do so without the immediate support of family and loved ones.

“Nobody could come, neither from Argentina [where Emilio is from] as they closed the border too, [or from Italy where] there is a lockdown for the whole country,” she said.

“Our families could not come because of the virus and they are really sad.”

“In my family, she is the first niece.”

“Anyway, technology is really helpful in this situation, so at the moment our families can meet her thanks to the video calls,” she added.

Ms Venuti also has a lot of friends on the Rock who have yet to meet her daughter.

“I would love to be able to introduce her also to my yoga family here in Gibraltar,” she said.

“They supported me throughout the whole pregnancy,” she added, “…hopefully soon."

If there is one more thing Ms Venuti would like to change, it is the follow-up visits she and her daughter receive.

“It would be great if for the following visits they could be able to come to my home, as we went four times already to the children’s health centre in one week,” she said, adding that delivery options for items such as food and pads would also be appreciated.

An error occurred in our print edition today, it was incorrectly stated that Nina was born on Tuesday and not Monday.