Footballer Robin Singh and wife Lianne on managing her pregnancy during COVID: You prepare as much as you can and then hope for the best

Footballer Robin Singh has been settled in Goa for the past few years. The Noida boy moved to the coastal state with his wife Lianne, where the two are now quarantining, awaiting the birth of their first child. While that would be a stressful period at any given time, given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it has become an even bigger challenge for the young couple.
Robin explains what they have been doing to ensure safety measures, "We all know that newborns are quite prone to falling ill in the beginning.So, we are just making sure that the hospital we choose is clean. We are just making sure that we make it as safe as possible." But the experience does not come without its fair share of challenges, particularly for Lianne. She elaborates, "It is strange because usually you can go with your mom or take a relative along with you. But now only one person is allowed to be there for the ultrasound or check-up." The one advantage the two have had is that they have had time together during the lockdown to plan all this. "Fortunately, we have had time to plan," agrees Lianne.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing for them. Just before the lockdown, Robin was in Kashmir playing for Real Kashmir FC. It was just before the conclusion of the season that Lianne, who was with him in Srinagar, found out she was pregnant and returned to Goa. The plan was that Robin would join her after finishing the season but all the talk about travel being suspended did make her nervous. "I was just praying that he comes back in time because otherwise, I wouldn't see him for months," says Lianne, "And that was a crucial period, the first trimester. So it's a blessing to have him around. He helps me so much."

Robin says that he has been doing what he feels every father-to-be should to make life comfortable for his partner. "I have been doing my fair share of reading- any article that I can find or anything that can help us to make sure that she and the baby are safe. I am just making sure the simple things are done right, on and off the pitch," he says, tongue firmly in cheek.
Hospitals have become far more dreaded due to the pandemic. With increasing cases, people try and avoid a visit to the doctor as much as they can. In Robin and Lianne's case, however, doctor visits are a must. The couple has found a way past that. Robin tells us, "Yeah, that's the last place one would want to go to. So we narrowed it down to maternity homes since they are not full-fledged hospitals. All we had to do was to make sure that it was the best possible maternity home." Lianne adds, "Goa itself is relatively safer than say a Delhi or Mumbai as it has fewer cases. It's still a scare but you do what you can and then hope for the best."
Of course, this just validates Robin’s decision to move to Goa instead of setting base in either Delhi or Lianne's hometown Mumbai. "I guess that was the best decision ever," he says with a laugh, adding, "I came here because the place has a very active lifestyle that suits us. Anyway, 7-8 months of the year I’m travelling, so I needed to be in a place that I like for the remainder and Goa seemed like this. I never thought it would turn out to be a blessing for us during COVID too."