Melissa Rauch had to give birth while Facetiming her husband

The coronavirus pandemic changed the birth plans of so many pregnant mamas, including Big Bang Theory star Melissa Rauch, who is opening up about the birth of her second child in a piece for Glamour.

Like so many people who are pregnant right now (or “pandemamamas” as Rauch likes to call the cohort), Rauch never thought she would be giving birth in the middle of an international health crisis, but that is how her son, Brooks Rauch, came into the world. Her experience proves that it isn’t just hospital policies that force people to give birth without their partners, but also how social distancing dismantles families’ support structures.

Rauch writes: “Although the hospital I was delivering at did allow birth partners, my husband had to stay home with our daughter since our original plan of having family come to town—as well as our backup plans—were no longer options due to COVID-19.”

She welcomed her son into the world alone and says the experience made her realize something about giving birth.

“It is never going to take a backseat to anything,” Rauch writes. “No matter what is going down, when one human is coming out of another human it becomes the main focus—there’s no other choice. No pandemic, or fear of being alone, or anger over not having a partner there … gets airtime. I had a job to do. The nurses, the doctor, and my husband (who joined on FaceTime to see the birth of our son) ultimately made me feel safe and protected.”

Check out Rauch’s full birth story on Glamour.

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