Hospital maternity service covid rules

[WotsitMum]

Intrested to know diffrent hospitals current maternity services rules arround covid regarding testing, birth partners and visitors. If any changes have happened recently since the change in general rules?

My hospital have put a post out saying they are 'still experiencing high incidence of covid in the service, hense the delay in any offical change'. They were allways the last hospital in the county to change any rules and have been the tightest on them!

They still have the same rules in place from when i had my first in november 2020 and im now due my seccond in july 2022 and was hoping for a bit of easing from the strict rules and not to feel so isolated and alone this time as it had a big affect on my mental health!

If the idiot Boris Johnson hadn't removed all rules for the public, then hospitals might be able to do more to relax rules. But the idiot letting covid run riot untested through the community has backed hospitals into a corner.

My hospitals guidelines are the same as they’ve been for a while - one birthing partner who can’t leave; testing before you go and during any stays, no visitors, masks. They don’t envision it changing any time soon.

@nocoolnamesleft you say that but a friend of mine (works in a diffent county hospital) works in a hospital chemist and with the rule change are allowing their staff to come in with covid if they are not unwell from it! Shocked me! She said most the chemist team has now had it since the change in rules!

@TakeYourFinalPosition just like my hospital but the 1 birth partner can be the only visitor 9am till 9pm, only allowed to visit once a day, can stay as long as they want but once they have left the ward once they are not allowed back in untill the next day and expect them to isolate at home whilst not at the hospital visiting. I just dont see how my son is going to cope with us beeing both away from him for a long period of time, i was in hospital for a week with my first and its already making me nervous, would be a great help if i was able to have a seccond visitor!

[quote WotsitMum]@nocoolnamesleft you say that but a friend of mine (works in a diffent county hospital) works in a hospital chemist and with the rule change are allowing their staff to come in with covid if they are not unwell from it! Shocked me! She said most the chemist team has now had it since the change in rules![/quote]
Which beautifully demonstrates why sensible health care establishments are not doing the same.

Ours is 2 labour partners. Only 1 visitor during visitors hours but not sure if you could have someone like 10-2 then switch to someone else. No children allowed x

In hospital atm. Visiting hours 8am-8pm. One visitor at a time, but can swap between people. I think it's ok for them to leave and return to the ward. Have to provide a valid negative LFT before they're allowed in initially. Masks at all times. No children allowed. No isolation required, but they do ask that care (masks, distancing, hand sanitising) be taken between visits.

Fortunately, there's zero rules about me coming and going from the ward as I please. So DH has been bringing DD to the hospital, and we've been spending time together outside. Not 100% ideal, but it's better than nothing or just video calls.

As for labour, it's very recently changed to allow 2 birthing partners again. Asked to only come in when in established labour. Partners only allowed then as well. If being induced, normal visiting hours apply, unless in established labour. But I've already seen a couple of exceptions made, so not a hard and fast rule. Negative LFT to be provided before allowed in as well.

I'm sure rules will have lifted further by July @WotsitMum. Best of luck for then.

My local hospital have changed their rules, this is in London.
Now allowed:

• 2 labour partners allowed after being 4cm dilated
• but only 1 named birth partner is allowed to stay 24 hours with you post birth.

You cannot switch the visitors though.