26 weeks pregnant and panicking what maternity services will be like in the weeks to come.

[Groundhog86]

Is anyone else just so stressed with worry? I'm so scared there will be no medical professionals to help me give birth. I don't want to give birth alone at home 😩.

I was happy to get pregnant through ivf now this is turning into a nightmare.
Just hoping there will be a miracle in the Next few months and everything calms down.

I'm 38 weeks with DC2.

We are moving tomorrow from London to stay with my mum in a very rural location as otherwise we would have no one to look after DS whilst I am in labour as we can't risk either my mum or MIL coming to stay as was the original plan. DH, DS and I and both grandmothers have been self-isolating for 7 days so that we can be as confident as possible that we are not bringing the virus with us.

I am booked in with the midwife service near mum's and will have an appointment with them on Tuesday, probably swiftly followed by a consultant appointment as I have a few risk factors.

It feels like a real wrench to be moving away from my normal surroundings and routine, but should be better for all of us in the long run, even if I will then be 30 mins from the nearest hospital rather than 5 mins!

I know that the hospital is not allowing child visitors but it seems that they are permitting a birth partner. It makes little sense to refuse your husband/partner to accompany you as you will have been part of the same household and if they have the virus then you will too.

I am almost 34 weeks and terrified tbh. The way things seem to be going with infection rates and hospitalizations, my main fear is that by the time I turn up the hospital will be severely understaffed and overstretched either through staff sickness or through staff being redeployed. I'm also frightened that my OH will get sick and be unable to come with me and I'll have to go through it all alone. I had quite a bad time with my last labour/birth and postnatal MH issues, and I've been experiencing high anxiety throughout this pregnancy as a result. Because of this my midwife had made all sorts of referrals to get me some extra support and now, of course, all these appointments are being cancelled with basically "goodbye and good luck". I was supposed to meet my health visitor this week but she called today to cancel and mentioned it's even possible I won't have a HV at all, even after the baby arrives, as they might be getting redeployed as nurses.

I’m due to give birth in just over a month and am concerned that there won’t be enough staff in the MLU. There will no doubt be midwifes who have to self isolate due to someone in their family (or them) potentially having the disease, just like the rest of us have to - which will inevitably mean less staff working at the hospital?

Have a couple of countries now withdrawn birth partners? Germany America?

I've seen a post saying Ireland are allowing birth partners but they have to leave after the birth and mum and baby go into the post natal wards on their own - no visitors.

Just seen someone based in NY state on twitter that their hospital no longer allows women to be accompanied by anyone at all during labour. I am increasingly afraid of this happening here.

Announcement from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust re: visitor policy

twitter.com/e_midwife/status/1242418426355867648?s=21