Petition to not birth alone!

[fizzandsparkle]

chng.it/Bx7NrrKKZ2

Please sign if you agree!

You will almost certainly be alive with a healthy baby at the end of it. Which is all that ultimately matters.

This argument has been used to treat birthing women appallingly in many countries. I really dislike this argument and don't think it holds water- women are not simply vessels that do not matter provided they're still alive. Women who suffer trauma and long term damage, birth injuries etc do matter. Don't go telling them that ultimately, since they're alive, their experiences don't matter. I'm sure that's not what you meant, but it's what it sounded like.

Bleakly amusing when every other "I had a baby in hospital" story here is "all these bloody men/family/friends loitering around the maternity ward, can't they just fuck off and let me sleep?".

I actually found having my husband at my first traumatic birth massively beneficial in terms of coping with the pain and fear. I was induced and he wasn’t there when I went into active labour overnight, so I had to do a couple of hours without him. Made a massive difference when he arrived.

So it may be the experience of some posters that their birth partner was no use, but that isn’t everyone’s experience.

I won't sign. I don't think it will change policy but if it did, well in a few weeks it could well be you would have 2-3 'birthing partners' and no qualified staff.

Even if you were not allowed any partner surely it's better to have a qualified midwife / OBGYN doctor than a partner who is not medically trained?

Midwives are putting their own health on the line, cutting back to one partner reduces that risk by 1/3, it's the least you can do.

OhClover, I get what you are saying but the fact is these are extraordinary times and women are quite capable of giving birth without their partner being there. They did it for centuries. It may not be how they want it but is nothing to be scared about

News this morning said they are 40% down on midwives in uk
This has scared me more about not having birth partners allowed as after a c section I will need help just lifting my baby to me to feed or sitting up or going to the loo.

Seems counterintuitive to take that initial help away when midwives are in such short supply right now

I'm 35 weeks pregnant, will be having a planned c section, and I agree with the policy so won't be signing. I'm also high risk, due to my age.
I've been keeping an eye on my local maternity ward Facebook page, where they update their information every day. At the moment, my husband will be allowed at the op and in recovery, but we are both prepared for that to change, and both ok with that. It's for the safety of everyone, especially our baby.
I do think these kind of petitions and posts are stirring up a bit of hysteria. Check your local hospital policy and prepare for it to change. Stay strong. Breathe.

My concern comes from 3 years ago when I gave birth by EMCS
I was kept in for 3 nights after.
The midwives were ran off their feet and they certainly weren’t 40% short.
I didn’t have a partner there. Luckily the rest of the ladies on the ward did as otherwise there wouldn’t have been a hope in hell in getting midwives to help me.
I forced myself to get up and pick up baby in extreme pain when I really shouldn’t have needed to

I’m so worried knowing that it will be a c section again that it will be the same if not worse experience due to lack of midwives

Sorry, another one that agrees with the policy. I appreciate it is scary, and everyone going through this has my full sympathy, but you need a midwife more than a birth partner, and they need protecting.

Besides which, this petition will have zero impact - they know full well women want and need birth partners, this decision will not have been made lightly.

If you don't want to follow the rules that are in place to protect ALL-you, your baby, staff, other babies and mothers on the unit, etc.. then don't. Just stay home. The world doesn't revolve around your comfort.

What a dangerous message. Just stay home and risk needing to use up precious ambulance resource?

No just stay home full stop

Stay home and die if a life threatening complication arises you mean?

Indeed clover
Mumsnet has got a lot worse for nasty people the past few weeks

I'm really sorry to have to share this because it's really upset me (pregnant) but a newborn baby has died in the states because of corona.

This is my biggest fear at the moment and I really hope that those worried about giving birth alone can understand it's not about denying anyone's rights it's about keeping everyone safe.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-baby-death-connecticut-map-us-cases-newborn-a9441331.html%3famp

I’m another who is not signing it.
It’s not done to punish the women, it’s done to protect everyone.
Yes it’s shit, yes it’s awful and the mental impact of this will roll on for years.

However it’s done to keep people safe.

Wow, reported. What a bitchy thing. You just don’t stop

The RCOG has put a statement out saying that as a basic minimum one birth partner is allowed due to safety reasons. So for anyone saying it’s safer without the RCOG disagree with you

No idea why a 6 week old dying is of any relevance to birth. The baby wasn’t sick at birth

That's fine. I think it's nasty and bitchy to insist that you're so much more important than everyone else that you should be able to do what you want. Even if that means exposing vulnerable newborns and mothers, as well as nhs workers to a virus, or increased levels of a virus that causes deaths. That's what I think is nasty, but you're entitled to your opinion.

There were just under 660k live births in England and Wales in 2018

Already the petition that’s only be going for 2 weeks has potentially 60% of pregnant people giving birth this year sign it

That’s not what anyone here has insisted

It’s what the RCOG guidelines say are safe.
What a rediculous point you are trying to make.

A birth partner who has isolated at home with a pregnant mother for the last weeks of pregnancy is at no more risk than the pregnant person so that is also a false claim to make

Unless that partner is a key worker, but there is additional advise on selecting an alternative birth partner in that situation

It’s not something that has been looked at lightly

This is the RCOG latest statement on birth partners stating that it is due to safety that women SHOULD have a birth partner present in labour

i think it's nasty and bitchy to insist that you're so much more important than everyone else that you should be able to do what you want

I don’t think anyone is saying that. I think there is a safety issue regarding having a birth partner (which most posters on this thread have missed and seem to think it’s just a preference) and pregnant women are entitled to care about their own safety.

I’ve been clear I’m not signing as I know they won’t introduce this policy lightly and only if it is necessary but you don’t seem to appreciate The importance of birth partners and it isn’t just pregnant women being spoilt. They’re scared about safely delivering.