Unable to see my baby in NICU due to covid restrictions

[francesca26]

I feel so alone I needed to post this to see if anyone else has been or is in a similar situation.

I have been in hospital since 30/12 for a scheduled induction. The process didn't start until 31/12 due to how busy they were and I was on a ward with several other women. One of these women tested positive for covid on 31/12 just as my contractions started and I was informed that I had been 'exposed'. I didn't think too much of it at this point and was just focusing on birthing my baby.

At 17.57pm on 01/01/22 my son was born at 38+4 . He had breathing difficulties and was 'grunty' so was taken straight to NICU, I had a brief cuddle but hardly any skin to skin.

The NICU doctor then informed me that because I had been 'exposed' that I would not be able to visit my son in NICU at all, even though I was testing negative. 💔

It has now been over 24hrs since I gave birth and I have had no contact with my baby. I have been put in a segregated room on the post natal ward. I'm not allowed to leave and can't have any visitors.

My heart is honestly breaking. I also have a 2 year old at home who I haven't seen for 4 days now.

Baby is improving and although he is still on oxygen, the levels are much better than they were. However I've not got any time frame on when they think he will be able to be moved up to post natal and be with me.

I feel like this is really affecting my mental health. I know my baby is in the best place but I am being treated like I have covid, even though I am negative and double jabbed.

I just don't know what to do with myself. I'm stuck in this room, without either of my children and I can't leave unless I discharge myself which they have advised me not to do incase baby is able to move up at some point.

😢💔

I don't think other people starting arguments on the thread is going to be helpful for the OP. Please stop

@Roselilly36

I feel really sorry for you OP, of course pictures & FaceTime aren’t enough, you need to be with your baby, it’s sounds cruel to me. Big hugs

Yes, utterly cruel to stop a baby on oxygen in NICU from possibly getting covid.

Very difficult for you @francesca26, but keeping him safe is the most important thing.

You'll all be together soon x

It's hard for you OP
But the safety of your baby and the others in The NICU has to trump
Individual needs. How would you feel
If your what caught COVID from ai parent visitor?

Fucking hell op, I am so sorry. That must be awful. I honestly don't know if it's the right thing or not, but could you maybe contact PALS to get a second opinion? Even maybe call/email your MP? Or I could understand if you just wanted to accept it and try to chill.. hard enough going through it without feeling like you have to fight. My heart really goes out to you ❤️

Also: congratulations! Whatever happens this time will pass and you will be home with your babies soon xx

@Neurodiversitydoctor

Maybe see if someone can explain to you again why this is the case, given that the staff on the NICU must be living their lives outside of work. I really feel for you, I can't imagine what this must be like xxxxxxcc

NHS staff are not allowed to work if a close contact . If OP were to be infectious she could infect a whole shift, which wouldn't happen by them "living their lives" outside of work. It's horrible for OP but a reasonable precaution. If her contact was on 31/12 she should have a negative 5 day test tommorow, then presumably will be allowed to see her baby.

I assume the staff are triple jabbed? I’m am too and have tested positive with literally no symptoms, they’ll be wearing full ppe. This could have life long repercussions regards bonding and post natal mental health and will cause far more damage than Covid!

@Carriemac

It's hard for you OP But the safety of your baby and the others in The NICU has to trump Individual needs. How would you feel If your what caught COVID from ai parent visitor?

Yes because Covid is ripping through children and killing them all!!! Get a fucking grip

Have pm'd you

It’s awful but as someone whose very very tiny baby (less than a kilo) was in the NICU I get it. The baby is not being separated from his parents (which is what Bliss has advocated for). I understand it’s hard but baby is getting to see dad. And also when we were in the NICU even with the slightest hint of a sore throat we would be advised not to go (and this was long long long before COVID). There are some very very very vulnerable babies in there.
OP’s baby is in a side room but I suspect to access that side room will require walking the length of the NICU.
The one solution would be to ask if they have transitional care rooms.
My baby was there for nearly 70 days. I get the pain. My older son got a tummy bug and I had to stay away for a bit. I really do get it.

This makes me feel panicky reading it, I cannot imagine how you are feeling. This is absolutely appalling.

I'd be kicking up a stink about this. You should be isolating with the baby in the side room. I gave birth whilst covid positive, I was given a side room for my whole stay and the baby and I just stayed together in there.

I'd had a lab test which showed I had a very faint positive and was unlikely to be infectious. Although I was still treated as possibly infectious the staff were aware of this and responded appropriately.

If I were you I'd urgently contact Birthright UK and ask them for advice and to advocate on your behalf.

This is a time to kick up.

It's madness, especially as any of the staff could have positive people at home and still be allowed to come to work.

Also I was sick after delivery and didn’t get to see him for 5 days. Dad saw him. He has cerebral palsy but I doubt that was because I couldn’t physically go and see him?

And babies die in the NICU all the time. I saw so many babies die of things that wouldn’t kill full term babies. When you come in the morning and the incubator next to yours is empty that’s a horrible feeling. I remember opening the fridge and finding the mum’s breast milk still in there.

I’ve also had a baby in NICU and understand this rule.
I do feel so much sympathy for you though, it’s so hard. It sounds like your baby is doing well though and hopefully you’ll be reunited soon.

It's hard for you OP
But the safety of your baby and the others in The NICU has to trump
Individual needs. How would you feel
If your what caught COVID from ai parent visitor?

But those other visitors are coming and going, popping to the supermarket on the way home, seeing their nursery aged children at home, visiting a relative, then coming back to the hospital. Allowed in because they are testing negative.

They are probably more risk than the OP who has been isolating for days just because she was in the same ward as someone who tested positive.

OP I’m so sorry for you. This is inhumane and completely against all guidance where mum and babies should be kept together. You need to raise hell and tell them in no uncertain terms that you must be reunited with your baby. Which hospital/area of the country are you in?

I’m sorry but it’s a basic human right that you are with your child.

Hospitals are having to declare critical incidents because of low staffing levels due to covid. If OP were to infect the ICU staff so that they have to close ICU or limit admissions, that puts in danger the lives of several babies.

It's all very well to say there's no risk in a side room, it's obvious that it depends where that side room is and whether OP has to go through ICU to access it - and it's likely that she does, given that for her baby's safety ICU staff and equipment have to be immediately available in case of a crisis. Even if she doesn't, staff have to go into that room to see to the baby.

OP, I'm sorry about your situation, I hope the baby can leave ICU soon.

@CBB2021

OP I’m so sorry for you. This is inhumane and completely against all guidance where mum and babies should be kept together. You need to raise hell and tell them in no uncertain terms that you must be reunited with your baby. Which hospital/area of the country are you in?

I’m sorry but it’s a basic human right that you are with your child.

But other babies have a basic human right to life.

Can you phone the neonatal unit and speak to the nurse in charge. Ask them if they have any way if facilitating a visit. They will have come across this before. In my experience (paediatric nurse) doctors have no idea about visiting rules etc and how the units actually work. So always better to ask the nurses. If he's just on oxygen. Surely he could be brought to you.

@Neurodiversitydoctor actually we are allowed to work if a close contact. We have to do daily LFT's

This is absolutely outrageous, I'm so sorry OP, I am disgusted by what is happening. There will be staff who have been exposed but won't know it- been out to pubs, clubs, restaurants, families over christmas who may have been asymptomatic; yet they can go into work and work very closely with other people's babies but you can't see your own child? It's not 'entirled' to expect a health service who has had coming on 2 years notice to have something in place for this scenario.

Don’t assume that staff will be allowed to work if they’ve been in contact with covid. I work in oncology and we have to stay at home or be redeployed with less vulnerable patients. This may well be true of nicu.

Op, I hope you get to see your baby soon.

I'd be kicking up a stink about this. You should be isolating with the baby in the side room. I gave birth whilst covid positive, I was given a side room for my whole stay and the baby and I just stayed together in there.

OP's baby needs intensive care, so a side room doesn't cut it.

Love all these people who believe that hospitals have infinite side rooms attached to ICUs available at any given moment.

@GoodPrincessWenceslas no one is saying they don’t. But as @WarmForDecember has pointed out all those other parents and staff are coming and going and could be close contacts/higher risk thank OP.

I absolutely shiver reading some of these responses. What world are we living in where anyone can this this is OK.

OP definitely get in contact with birthrights for some help as PP suggested.

Oh this is awful. Have they not got a side room on NICU? Surely there is a way around this.
That cuddle is going to be all the more special.
Crossing my fingers for your negative tests

This is not right.
I work in the NHS with patient contact - when my son had Covid I was allowed to work after a negative PCR and daily lateral flow tests.
Keep making a fuss

G@Neurodiversitydoctoractually we are allowed to work if a close contact. We have to do daily LFT's

Thank you yes, I understand it changed recently, I think my trust are trying very hard not to give close contacts patient facing duties at least until day 5 or so. I understand that this may not be the case everywhere. I'd be surprised if NICU staff who had a household contact (same as the Ops as overnight in the same room) were doing face to face patient care might accept this may be the case in some trusts.