GRACEFUL CHANGES - Josefa Buckland
How did you feel on the run up to labour, as everything was so uncertain?
I was 37 weeks pregnant when we went into lockdown. I had been planning for a homebirth since my booking appointment, and the birthing pool and NHS home delivery kit were already in place. But a couple of days after lockdown the NHS Lothian home birth service was cancelled, and my kit was collected. This was difficult because, at that stage in the pandemic, I was really worried about going into hospital and the risk of Covid-19. Also, restrictions meant only one birth partner was allowed and only when you were in active labour. We don’t have relatives living nearby and I was concerned about childcare for my eldest daughter. This all certainly added pressure as my entire birth plan was disrupted.
Can you tell us about what it was like to bring new life into the work during lockdown?
When I was pregnant with my first child, the news was all about Brexit, as the referendum had taken place. At the time I thought that was a bleak backdrop for a pregnancy, but the pandemic was worse! Particularly all the social restrictions which meant we weren’t able to see anybody or introduce our baby to anyone. The maternity restrictions have been hard for women. Edinburgh based midwife, Gem Nealon, set up a Facebook group for pregnant and postnatal Mums at the start of lockdown and reading questions and birth stories has been fascinating and formed a large part of my lockdown world.
Once Amy had been born and we were all home together, lockdown almost became a positive. We had lovely family time together and my husband was around much more than he would have been during normal times.
How much time did you take off before getting stuck back into work?
Hardly any! The pre pandemic plans had been that my colleague would cover day to day running while I got into a routine with baby. However, because of pandemic related restrictions, it meant I was packing orders within days of Amy being born.
Can you tell us more about your business, Graceful Changes?
Graceful Changes is an organic baby and toddler clothes rental service. For a monthly subscription fee, parents can rent everything their baby or toddler needs to wear - from vests, to cardigans, coats, swimsuits and snowsuits. Every subscriber has access to our complete inventory online via the myTurn platform, allowing them to customise their clothing selection.
What’s next for Graceful Changes?
We have so many ideas and plans! At the moment, we are focussed on growing our subscriber base and getting the word out about the rental concept as an option for parents. We are expanding our product range and focussing on providing excellent customer service by listening to our subscribers and always looking for ways to improve what we do.
Josefa lives in the South of Edinburgh with her husband, daughter Grace who is 3 and the newest addition to their family Amy, who was born in April.
I was 37 weeks pregnant when we went into lockdown. I had been planning for a homebirth since my booking appointment, and the birthing pool and NHS home delivery kit were already in place. But a couple of days after lockdown the NHS Lothian home birth service was cancelled, and my kit was collected. This was difficult because, at that stage in the pandemic, I was really worried about going into hospital and the risk of Covid-19. Also, restrictions meant only one birth partner was allowed and only when you were in active labour. We don’t have relatives living nearby and I was concerned about childcare for my eldest daughter. This all certainly added pressure as my entire birth plan was disrupted.
Can you tell us about what it was like to bring new life into the work during lockdown?
When I was pregnant with my first child, the news was all about Brexit, as the referendum had taken place. At the time I thought that was a bleak backdrop for a pregnancy, but the pandemic was worse! Particularly all the social restrictions which meant we weren’t able to see anybody or introduce our baby to anyone. The maternity restrictions have been hard for women. Edinburgh based midwife, Gem Nealon, set up a Facebook group for pregnant and postnatal Mums at the start of lockdown and reading questions and birth stories has been fascinating and formed a large part of my lockdown world.
Once Amy had been born and we were all home together, lockdown almost became a positive. We had lovely family time together and my husband was around much more than he would have been during normal times.
How much time did you take off before getting stuck back into work?
Hardly any! The pre pandemic plans had been that my colleague would cover day to day running while I got into a routine with baby. However, because of pandemic related restrictions, it meant I was packing orders within days of Amy being born.
Can you tell us more about your business, Graceful Changes?
Graceful Changes is an organic baby and toddler clothes rental service. For a monthly subscription fee, parents can rent everything their baby or toddler needs to wear - from vests, to cardigans, coats, swimsuits and snowsuits. Every subscriber has access to our complete inventory online via the myTurn platform, allowing them to customise their clothing selection.
What’s next for Graceful Changes?
We have so many ideas and plans! At the moment, we are focussed on growing our subscriber base and getting the word out about the rental concept as an option for parents. We are expanding our product range and focussing on providing excellent customer service by listening to our subscribers and always looking for ways to improve what we do.
Josefa lives in the South of Edinburgh with her husband, daughter Grace who is 3 and the newest addition to their family Amy, who was born in April.