Newsreader Sarah-Jane Mee planning home birth due to coronavirus

Sky News presenter Sarah-Jane Mee has revealed that she is planning to have a home birth because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, she said that she wanted to make sure that her fiance Ben Richardson could remain with her so she is not going into hospital alone.

She said: “I don’t want to be walking into hospital on my own to have this baby, so I am considering a home birth.

“I have an amazing midwife and I’ve been using this incredible hypnobirthing teacher caller Katharine Graves, and they have been getting my head together.

“I had never considered it before but, because of everything that’s going on, it makes me feel more relaxed to think about having the baby at home, rather than Ben not being able to come into the ward until the very final moment.

“I think my plan A now is a home birth.”

She added that there is “no reason” for her not to consider having a home birth as she has had an uncomplicated pregnancy and is in good health.

Mee added that her “life literally changed in a couple of minutes” when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced lockdown measures as her pregnancy put her in “the vulnerable category”.

However she said that going outside for a daily walk has helped her get her “head straight” and she is now “trying to find the positives”, which include the slower pace of life and spending more time with her fiance.

She added: “I have been concentrating on that and it has really helped.”

“We have spent quality time together, when else would we go for an hour’s walk together every day?

“It’s weird but we’re also finding the beauty in it: the Thames has never been so still, there are ducks and you can hear birdsong.

“It’s really calm and really nice.”