Petition to not birth alone!

[fizzandsparkle]

chng.it/Bx7NrrKKZ2

Please sign if you agree!

I absolutely understand this especially if it's your first baby but it may be something we have to do!
I'm due in June and everything about pregnancy, birth and having a new baby will be/is different this time round.
Keeping everyone safe and healthy has to be our top priority right now.
If I give birth without my husband so be it, try to change your outlook. You're not giving birth alone. It's you and your baby doing it together.

Absolutely disagree. You might want someone with you but it's not necessary.

left in pain for hours at a time - just a tip, you're giving birth, partner or no partner it involves being in pain for hours at a time.

Can I remind everyone that the RCOG acknowledge that not having a birth partner is a safety issue. It may be one that is outweighed by other safety issues relating to infection control but posters on this thread are being incredibly dismissive. No birth partners, if it happened, is likely to lead to more adverse outcomes for some pregnant women, especially when there’s a shortage of midwives so there will be less professional monitoring, and they are allowed to care about that. It isn’t “selfish”.

I agree with the policy but I disagree with the attitude of some of the posters.

But it's not saying "no birth partners" just putting limits on when they can be there.

Hence why I said “if it happens”, but read the comments on the thread some of which are talking about birth partners generally.

@CharlieB93

I think it’s fine everyone putting their opinions forward but unless you are actually about to give birth I think you should keep your opinions to yourself. It’s fine women saying ‘oh I did it on my own etc’ that was your choice, I chose to have a child with my OH and experience it together, now I’m being told I should just accept the fact that he’ll miss the birth of his one and only child?

It's not about 'choice' or about your boyfriend 'missing out'. It's about saving lives.

Not signing either. It’s extremely self-centred and short-sighted. These are unprecedented times and we need to protect healthcare workers. Because if the midwives, doctors and nurses start dropping like flies, who the fuck is going to treat the sick and deliver babies?

I gave birth alone fairly recently, abroad and in a foreign language. That wasn’t my ideal choice, far from it, but it’s what happened and it was absolutely fine.

People signing this rubbish need to get themselves a sense of perspective, seriously.

@ScarlettBlaize oh bore off... how belittling ‘boyfriend’. It’s been a long and painful road to get here.
@OhClover thank you for actually articulating instead of just coming on here to attack mothers to be. Anyone who’s got half a brain cell will recognise that without feeling secure and comfortable labour will probably not happen without intervention and damage. RCOM even did a study on it showing if a woman was in labour in safe surroundings the chances of intervention is a lot lower. Hence why they’ve issued that statement about safety....

Also not signing - sorry. There is a good reason for the policy and its absolutely right. Women have "birthed alone" without their partners for centuries. Just because you expected things to be different does not mean we should risk the health of the NHS staff.

Sorry but I really disagree with this.

I’m due in 4 weeks and it will be sad and scary not having my husband with me especially when he was so supportive at the birth of our first but I am completely preparing myself mentally to be on my own because it’s for the greater good. Put it this way if the labour wards/postnatal wards were full of birthing partners and someone didn’t realise they had it and past it to my newborn I would be furious, not only that if there was no restrictions when I give birth and someone passes it to the midwives and they are then low staffed who’s going to look after the next round of mothers and babies. It’s just reducing risks. I know it’s hard but we can all do this! Think about the millions of years of women giving birth when it was throwned upon to have your partner/husband in the room. They did it alone and without the knowledge and equipment the NHS have today. Us pregnant ladies have never been in safer hands in regards to the world of medicine! X

Not signing. I gave birth 'alone' the other day. My partner had a cough so was not allowed in the hospital at all. Safest for everyone. While I was initially nervous, I had a dedicated midwife who was by my side throughout and I had a very positive experience. I felt sorry for all the staff having to keep putting on and taking off the PPE, double bag or double clean everything that left the room. I'd rather lower the risks to these fabulous nhs workers so more of them can be safely on the front line delivering babies. If you increase their exposure risk, then down the line there may not be enough staff to enable safe care to mums and babies in a time of extreme circumstances. No, it's not ideal, not what I'd wished for, but it's safer.

@Sunshinesweet123 Thank you for having the empathy and compassion and perspective to see the situation in full. I wish you all the best for an easy labour and birth

www.birthrights.org.uk/2020/03/31/birthrights-calls-for-protection-of-uk-women-giving-birth-during-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR0UKSrU17Mp9XVoce8a6f5e9FdPtGYWWSNtxRrGa3QatmFMFMAzjtzBi4w
For info!

eu.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2020/03/31/rochester-ny-hospitals-tighten-visitor-policy-dad-hides-covid-19-symptoms-strong-highland/5085892002/

Stories like this are why such draconian measures are having to be contemplated.

Sorry but YABU.

The health ministers haven’t taken this decision lightly. It’s for you, your unborn child and the NHS staffs safety. Yes it sucks but you’ll get over it.

Woman give birth alone everyday. You’ll be absolutely fine

Are women now being told they can't have someone with them during active labour? Or is this petition setup in anticipation of that potentially happening?

I had to go to a scan alone last week and was told that as long as my birth partner was not unwell it would be highly unlikely that women would not be allowed one person with them during active labour. Has this changed?

A very selfish petition.

My colleagues are putting themselves on the line every day to keep the nation safe .

The most important thing about a labour is that its safe . Nothing else matters.

Sorry, no I disagree. Women are strong. Men do not need to be there, the midwife and the woman managed very well before men decided it was their right to be there.

Who is going to give birth alone unless you are at home with no one else, suddenly go into labour and it all happens quickly on the bathroom floor? Or stuck in a lift like on telly.

I've always felt I could have done it on my own :-) but not likely to try now.

What utter nonsense. Midwives and obstetricians are still working throughout this crisis, you will not be on your own, honestly.

What will be good is not having partners at all hours in the post natal ward. I didn't realise that happened until I read about it on here and it sounded horrendous!

Go into hospital, have your baby helped by a midwife, go home. End of. Unless there are complications of course but a normal, run of the mill labour and birth does not require having the world and his wife present.

I fear without my partner I’ll be ignored and left in pain for hours at a time.
......
Giving birth usually does involve some pain, didn't you know that? Having someone with you is not going to take that away. Unless there are complications, don't go into hospital until your contractions are close and/or waters break. At home you can walk up and down, count out loud, bend at the knees, have a groan, please yourself how you manage it.

You won't be ignored once you get into hospital, you'll have help with your delivery.

The petition has had many thousands of signatures
Many hospitals have now updated the allowance of partners during labour where they had stopped.
It’s no guarantee still that things won’t change as this worsens as we aren’t even in the peak yet

I feel for women who haven’t given birth before and hear the awful stories of being left alone in labour
I also feel for those that have done it before and had such a terrible experience that they have considered not having more children but managed to in the knowledge that their partner will be there by your side

It’s quite eye opening reading the male point of view on other forums.
The anger of not being able to potentially witness the birth of your child or being told you can see it your child for a maximum of 30 minutes after it’s born and that’s it is across the board.

I’ve also seen on other forums that there are women being denied the birth choices they would normally have ever my right to and are considering dangerous options such as free births

I do think there will be an increase in infant deaths because of this as women are making such efforts to be with someone they are comfortable with during birth , and that’s a terrifying thought

I agree that this policy is necessary at the moment for safety reason so I wouldn't sign the petition.

As for ppl who've already given birth not giving their opinions...well, we've been through it so we ca comment on the experience!

My DH was completely unnecessary during both my labours, in fact I wanted to punch him at times when he made sympathetic faces during contractions. He has no medical expertise and couldn't help me in the slightest. In my personal experience, someone holding my hand, helping with breathing, etc. made bugger all difference.

In fact, I told him to leave during active labour, once to get himself some breakfast and later because he was irritating me!

Not signing. I agree with the policy.