Help! Advice from hospital births during Covid

[Chrissyyy]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone here could shed some light on the process of giving birth in hospital during Covid

1. are partners allowed in the whole time? And how long can they stay after the birth ?
2. once you give birth are you put on a ward ?
3. if there are no complications are you likely to be sent home the same day?
4. if you are Covid positive does anyone know the process ?
5. non Covid related but does an epidural really stop the pain?
6. is it very hard to get the baby to latch on I'm reading to many conflicting stories

I've asked my midwife and she had no idea

If there’s no complications then you can just leave if you don’t want to stay overnight, you’re there using their service by choice :)

Very dependent on your hospital. How about phoning your maternity ward and asking? Or looking online? The online thing helped me as it says the rules for visitors, I could then assume that the dads/partners would be allowed the same, if not better visiting times!

1. check with your hospital. I was induced and partner couldn't come until I was 4cm

2. depends. You might be able to go home depending on how things go

3. yes. They don't want you there any longer than necessary

4. check. In my hospital you wouldn't be allowed a birthing partner if you were positive

5. it should do if it's administered properly and in good time

6. depends on baby. Some are breaStfeedung naturals, others aren't. If breastfeeding really important ti you I totally advise doing an antenatal breastfeeding course and take advantage/ demand all the help you can get in hospital and from the community midwife

1. are partners allowed in the whole time? And how long can they stay after the birth ? I gave birth pre pandemic, but check with your hospital

2. once you give birth are you put on a ward ? Only if there are complications / you need to stay in / they need the room. I didn't go to the ward with either of mine

3. if there are no complications are you likely to be sent home the same day? With my first I stayed over night in the labour room. He was born at 9:30pm and by the time they'd stitched me up and checked him it was almost 1am so no kicking us out then. We were discharged the next morning though. With my second I got to hospital at 4am, she was born at 5:30am and we were discharged at 10:30am

4. if you are Covid positive does anyone know the process ? Don't know

5. non Covid related but does an epidural really stop the pain? I never had one. My labours were too quick to have one. I also didn't need one. There's pain yes, but gas and air made it bareable. Feeling some pain is useful though to understand what stage your body is at.

6. is it very hard to get the baby to latch on I'm reading to many conflicting stories for me no. My first had some feeding issues with weight etc but my daughter latched perfectly from feed 1. She was 45 mins old when we had our first feed and she just went from there. She never lost any weight (though it's normal for babies to lose a bit of weight just after birth) she slept 10-5 from 8 weeks, had no reflux or tongue tie, she was a little unicorn baby.

Hospital policies will differ, but they all seem to allow the birth partner in for the entirety of active labour.Which means if you are being induced you might not be able to have them with you at first. For a spontaneous low-risk labour they generally send you home if not in established labour anyway. You would go up and do the triage bit alone.

Wards are standard for recovery.

Going home the same day is common well before covid.

My hospital had separate rooms for covid positive women.

I only had an epidural with my second and it did nothing, but apparently that is rare! Loved gas and air though, brilliant stuff. My advice is to pace yourself. Don't rush at all the pain relief options ASAP. Find a bit of a groove with coping methods and save them for when you start feeling like you can't do it any more.

The most important thing with latch is to know where to go for support if it's not working. Midwives can be good but sometimes are not. Health visitors often not great. IBCLC local to you, La Leche League, local support group, NCT (you don't need to be a member) all fantastic options and many are free/minimal cost.

1. are partners allowed in the whole time? And how long can they stay after the birth ?

Depends on the hospital. my one allows the partners in as soon as in labour, others are 4cm (although most say don't come in before 4cm anyway), heard of some at 7cm. My hospital is 2 hours after birth and then visiting 4 hours a day on wards. But from friends they often stayed on delivery after the two hours and husbands could stay with them til they went to the ward

2. once you give birth are you put on a ward ?
   Unless they have a surplus of rooms yes usually you would be

3. if there are no complications are you likely to be sent home the same day?
   If you give birth in the morning then yes. evening then probably not but they're generally happy to get you out asap

4. if you are Covid positive does anyone know the process ?
   You have to be kept in a seperate room the whole time. They will ensure you wear a mask until you get into your room. obv this may differ in different hospital

5. non Covid related but does an epidural really stop the pain?
   Yes - IF it works. for a few people it doesn't work or only works down half the body

6. is it very hard to get the baby to latch on I'm reading to many conflicting stories
   Some people have an easy time and others find it hard. look up how to do it (if you're not doing antenatal classes) and ask a midwife if you are struggling.

It all depends on your hospital. My experience could be very different to yours...

1. I was taken into triage for monitoring due to preeclampsia and DH was with me then. I was then admitted for emergency induction. DH was allowed into the induction ward and stayed tjroughout. He was there for the whole induction, birth and onto the post birth ward afterwards. He was allowed home for supplies and could come and go as he needed. He just had a lateral flow test but nobody asked him to do it.

2. unsure. I went to a ward post birth as i had complications and needed to be kept in. There are lots of newborn checks so possibly depending on your hospital policy.

3. They do tend to send uncomplicated births home at least 6 hours later as long as everything was straight forward and you didnt need any form of intervention.
   This didnt happen to me sadly.

4. I was PCR tested before induction. From what i gather if youre positive your midwife team are more PPE'd up than normal and youre basically isolated as much as possible. Again each hospital is different so check their policy. I assume if yoir partnwr is positive they cant come in, or if they are in they cant come and go.

5. Didnt have an epodutal as no time so no idea.

6. i struggled with latching baby. Every midwife that came in helped and were very hands on with my boobs. Youll get used to everyone touching you. Ask them yo check for a tongue tie though if youre worried. I asked specifically and was ignored. Baby has struggled with feeding and lost alot of weight since being home. She had a severe tongie tie which we have paid a private midwife to snip and the result is brilliant.

For all your questions you shoukd be able to find up to date covid information on your hospital trusts website. Everything i needed to know was listed online and put my mind at rest.

Just to add to the above, i gave birth 3 weeks ago as covid cases were rising dramatically.....