Anyone expecting in Jan/Feb?

[Aprilrainbow]

What contingency plans do you have in place re hospitals & ambulances?

I’m not expecting in Jan or Feb but did have a baby this year, why do you need contingency plans for hospitals and ambulances? Maternity care should be running as normal and is treated separately to any happenings at the hospital re.covid. Just wondered what your concerns were?

Not me but a friend, everything could be in trouble in the new year.

Well the plan should never be to use an ambulance to go to hospital in labour so that isn't relevant. The rest of it has to be left to the NHS but they are more than aware that births can't be delayed so contingencies are in place.

I am, and I usually work in a maternity unit. There's nothing that's worrying me particularly, staffing adequate at present and I'm hoping to just be in and out as quick as possible. I don't think Trusts will be revising the visiting/attending scans and appointments off the back of the recent (not very helpful) NHS guidance- I hope they don't. If anything they might get stricter but this is done on a Trust to Trust basis. There haven't been any discussions about suspending homebirth/birth centre services yet as far as I am aware.

I got pregnant at the beginning of the first lockdown well aware that this was going to go on for a while so I accept that some things will be different.

Contingencies so far have been to pack more food/snacks/drinks so that DH doesn't need to leave the room for supplies!

Please don’t use ambulances as a maternitaxi unless of course it’s an emergency, however assuming this is a plan for week 40 and your “friend” is in labour, that is not an emergency.