FAMILIES across Glasgow are facing a Christmas unlike any other this year as devastating restrictions to control the coronavrius pandemic force loved ones to stay apart for their own safety.
However, thousands of people will be celebrating a much more joyful reason for a change in their holiday routine this year - a new edition to the family.
As Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill, brave mothers carried on bringing their little ones into the world in the toughest of circumstances.
Now, proud parents are reaping the rewards as their infants - dubbed “lockdown babies” - are ringing in the special milestone of their first Christmas.
Greyson Campbell entered the world three weeks early in April after the stress of the global shutdown sent mum Megan into early labour.
The mum-of-three described her birth experience “as horrible” after she was forced to labour alone while her anxious partner waited outside the hospital.
Little Greyson spent some time in hospital after his birth - and was sent into isolation after Megan, James and their eldest sons tested positive for coronavirus- but he’s gone from strength to strength.
Megan said: “It’s been more tiring than my previous two boys because we’re just looking at the same four walls.
“We all got Covid-19 and I’m badly asthmatic, so I’m still feeling the effects of it, but the kids were fine and didn’t get any symptoms.
“He’s doing really good. He’s so loud, he’s my loudest kids. He chats away all the time.”
She added: “He’s started saying ‘dada’ - which I’m annoyed about - and he’s sitting up.
“He’s doing great.”
Christmas will be bittersweet for the family of five - including partner James and older sons Oliver and Jaxon - as they try to create special moments with little Greyson despite restrictions.
“We’ve tried to do as many Christmassy things as we can.
“Oliver is six and quite switched on so he’s disappointed we can’t do what we normally do. We will make it as exciting as we can.
“For Oliver and Jaxon, we went to see Santa and got a picture with him, so it makes me quite sad I won’t have that for Greyson.”
She added: “It’s been a really hard year and Christmas will be hard too, but we’re all doing the best we can.”
Christmas will also be extra special for the Goodall family in Bishopbriggs.
When the pandemic began, mum Victoria thought she would end up with an extended maternity leave to care for twins Emelia and Elliot, three, and 16-year-old Molly.
However, when nurse Victoria began bleeding she was rushed to hospital where doctors warned her she would need an emergency c-section.
Heartbreakingly, the mum-of-four was alone when she received the dreaded news as husband Ben waited outside due to the coronavirus restrictions.
It was a terrifying deja vu for the couple, who previously spent 16 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit with their toddler twins who arrived 13 weeks early.
Victoria said: “We had been there before and it was so difficult to go through it this time when we could only visit her one at a time.
“The saving grace was she was only there for two weeks but for those families who have long stays - like we had with the twins - it must be terrifying to go through alone.
“We’re very lucky that it was a relatively short stay and she’s here and she’s healthy.
The new family of six will be spending December 25 with Victoria’s parents in a much more “low key” fashion than they’re used to.
“This year hasn’t been what we initially thought,” she said.
“But, I understand the reasons behind it and, at the end of the day, I have four beautiful children who are healthy and happy so I’m incredibly lucky.”
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