Giving birth alone in coronavirus

[Wingingit07]

Hey

Here's a petition as they're thinking of social distancing in scans and also birth!

www.change.org/p/nhs-protect-the-right-to-have-a-birth-partner-during-covid-19?recruiter=152065300&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=f6bfc730-3b30-11e4-a7bf-19692eac9bb6&utm_content=fht-21101226-en-gb%3Av2

Xx

If they bring this in it will be for the safety of mothers, babies and staff. Why would you petition against safety?

I understand it's not ideal at all, but it's a misleading to say women will have to give birth alone. There willl still be midwives and doctors there to support.

They've already started this in scans.

Yes it's not ideal and I'm upset about birthing without DH but this is about keeping the mums, babies and the NHS staff who need to care for them safe.

I get the impression people think the NHS is doing this without good reason. We are in a global health crisis, life is different for our safety.

I'm pregnant just now and I agree with these measures.

I am pregnant, had a traumatic first birth, and the thought of not having my partner with me for this one fills me with terror. I understand for scans and any other appointments going alone, but I feel like I need my OH with me for the birth. Have signed.

Yes you should always be allowed at least one birth partner, I am a doula and I have had seen a lot of women talking about free birthing at home with no medical assistance etc, I think this is pushing women to put themselves more at risk out of fear. One birth partner with the rule that they are not displaying any symptoms and once the birth is over they can't stay over night on postnatal wards is a good compromise

I had my 20 week scan friday and no one was allowed partners etc to join them for the scan, which whilst not the best I can understand why. However there were signs all over the waiting area saying that 1 birthing partner was allowed during labour so think its just for scans at the time being.

NHS made it clear in a new guideline that birth partners are advised to be kept.
As for scans as other visits they advised hospitals to do them only with the pregnant lady.

I agree with their decision, they are stretched too as other medical professionals, it's a safety master and something that will help them cope.

I find a few people around starting this petitions( obviously upset and I can understand that) a bit self centred. No offence, they have to do what is needed in a PANDEMIC and if people continue to push guidelines we will stay in lockdown for much longer than we should.

The vast majority of hospital trusts in the UK are allowing one birthing partner to be at the actual birth, they are just not allowed on the wards so have to leave when you get moved to the ward after the birth.

If they do bring in stricter measure at any point then it will be as an absolute last resort and will be for the safety of all the women, babies and staff. They're not doing it for fun or to piss people off. This is a completely unprecedented situation, a global pandemic!

No mum to be, myself included, wants these measures to be put in place but most understand that safety has to come before anything else.

This is what my hospital are doing:

❗️ Scunthorpe Maternity Updated Visiting Times and Birth Partner Attendance Advice❗️
(includes: Antenatal Day Unit, Antenatal Clinic, Pregnancy Ultrasound, Ward 26 & Central Delivery Suite)

We have had to temporarily revise visiting times and birth partner attendance rules within our maternity unit due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This is in response to current national guidance in order to protect and minimise the transmission of COVID-19 to women, new born babies and our staff members.

Until further notice the following strictly applies...

. Women are to arrive and attend all antenatal appointments and ultrasound scans on their own.

. When being admitted to hospital for an antenatal admission (including induction of labour), women are to arrive and be admitted alone. There are currently no visiting times on Ward 26 including for your birth partner. If you are being induced, your one chosen birth partner can attend once labour has established and you are transferred to Central Delivery Suite. Your midwife will inform you of this.

. When being admitted to Central Delivery Suite in labour, your one chosen birth partner can support you during your labour and birth providing they are not symptomatic of COVID-19. Once your baby is born, your birth partner will need to leave the unit and only return to collect you when you and your baby are ready to be discharged.

. If you were to require an elective or emergency caesarean section for your birth, your birth partner can be with you whilst you are in theatre providing they’re not symptomatic of COVID-19.

. If you are re-admitted to the hospital after you have had your baby, women must attend and be admitted alone with their baby.

This is something our team wish we did not have to implement however, we have a duty to protect those we care for along with our staff. Please be assured that our team are ready to fully support you during your visit to the maternity unit. We will update you on further changes and updates via this page.

Many Thanks x

You can have someone there whilst in active labour, it's scary for people, but scarier is doubling the chances of bringing it onto the ward and depleting staff numbers; meaning women can't be guaranteed the medical support that they need. So please do not sign.

Giving birth without support when you have and need that support is very dangerous to both the mother and the baby’s lives. I know first hand that being stressed in that situation can make your baby seriously ill or cause long lasting damage. Death being the worst outcome. I wasn’t taken seriously with my first birth. Was left alone, waters broken 8cm dilated on the maternity ward. No pain relief. I was so stressed and upset that DD also got stressed and produced meconium(sp?). I was incredibly lucky to still be able to give birth naturally. Her heartbeat kept dipping, she wouldn’t feed and I had to stay in the hospital for over a week. They were incredibly irresponsible and I feel this could happen to a lot of frightened women. I’m sorry but if birth partners are in the same home then I don’t see why banning them from the birth will do anything. I’m hoping that private midwifery services are still available as there’s no way DH is missing another birth, and my last

Do you feel better now starry? Women can have their partners in active labour.

Thanks for creating this, have signed

Just to reiterate, RCOG put out guidelines on this on Sat saying women should be allowed birth partners. I believe they have said the evidence has Anyone being told differently by their trusts should bring these guidelines to their attention:

Q. Will I be able to have my birth partner with me during labour and birth?
Yes, you should be encouraged to have a birth partner present with you during labour and birth. Having a trusted birth partner present throughout labour is known to make a significant difference to the safety and well-being of women in childbirth.

If your birth partner has symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be allowed to go into the maternity suite, to safeguard the health of the woman and the maternity staff supporting you

Local Trusts may place restrictions on visitors which might mean that partners are not able to attend routine antenatal appointments, or stay with women on antenatal or postnatal wards. However, this should not impact on your birth partner’s presence during your labour and the birth, unless they are unwell.

I believe their reasoning on this is that the evidence shows NOT having a birth partner can be more harmful.

I dont think a petition will help to turn things unfortunately, the only thing that will turn this will be the uproar if mums and babies are being lost due to unassisted homebirths and possibly undermanned hospitals. Ive usually birthed with only the medical staff and can tell people you are looked after so well, the midwives are excellent. Good luck to all x

As someone who is VERY anxious about getting this virus due to underlying health condition and having had the unfortunate experience of being on a ventilator in the past, I fully support this decision. I don't want to be doubly exposing myself and therefore my baby on a ward.

However, I do get that this is very worrying for people, you just have to think of the bigger picture.

@Layladylay234 that's what trusts are saying, women can have birth partners when in active labour and for the birth.

There was a thread on this subject last week. Unfortunately it was started by a very goady OP and was ultimately deleted as she turned out to be a PBP.

There are a lot of rumours going around, but the Royal College of Midwives and The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have published some very reassuring guidance that women will NOT have to be alone in active labour:

twitter.com/MidwivesRCM/status/1243528475727876097?s=20
and www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/

"Q. Will I be able to have my birth partner with me during labour and birth?
Yes, you should be encouraged to have a birth partner present with you during labour and birth. Having a trusted birth partner present throughout labour is known to make a significant difference to the safety and well-being of women in childbirth.

If your birth partner has symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be allowed to go into the maternity suite, to safeguard the health of the woman and the maternity staff supporting you

Local Trusts may place restrictions on visitors which might mean that partners are not able to attend routine antenatal appointments, or stay with women on antenatal or postnatal wards. However, this should not impact on your birth partner’s presence during your labour and the birth, unless they are unwell."

What does active labour really mean? From what I've read you must be 4cm & if you're being induced this must be done alone & they'll only call your partner once you're in the delivery suite, which sounds fairly far along? The lady I sat next to at work, her baby nephew passed away last year at the hospital I'm due to give birth in due to some failings, so being alone (particularly if they follow other countries & ban partners all together in the future) seems pretty scary, particularly when the NHS is so stretched right now.

Yes, established labour means the point at which you would be admitted to the labour ward, so 4cm dilated or with regular contractions every 3-5 minutes. Even in normal circumstances you would be sent back home if you arrived at hospital before this point in the labour. I imagine that women who need induction will be encouraged to go home after the insertion of the pessary wherever possible.

As in normal circumstances, it is a good idea to prepare to labour for as long as possible at home, especially for a first birth where the latent phase can be quite long. You might want to get hold of a TENs machine, or hire or buy a pool.

I know it seems harsh to send partners away after the birth but in normal circumstances this is exactly what happens in hospitals which don't allow overnight visitors for any baby born after 8pm and before 7am. You get a bit of time together in recovery before mother and baby are transferred to the ward.

Thanks I think I will try and prepare for being at home for as long as possible during the process then.

Just really hoping they don't ban partners altogether. My Mum had a traumatic birth alone with me (just medical professionals) which still haunts her now. She said never ever again and she meant it! She always said if ever I have children she really doesn't want me to go through what she did alone so I'm just praying it doesn't come to that.

I will probably have to give birth alone as we have no one to have my son, so husband will have to stay with him. Plan was for my mum (late 60s) to have him but that's gone out the window. My first birth I had a third degree tear and ended up with anemia. Took me ages to forget about it and now it's all coming back.

Thanks for all your opinions it is more for the people who want to sign it rather then do to just comment against....maybe I can turn off comments I'm not sure and I'm new to this but was popping it up for anyone that wanted to sign. I have self isolated for the last 2 weeks and been out once for a walk, I'm a high risk pregnancy and the thought of my partner not being able to stand at the room in PPE and talk to me is really scary.

You can’t turn off comments I’m afraid, OP.

It’s important to make it really clear that there is no evidence at the moment that birth partners will be banned from delivery suites, as confirmed by RCM and RCOG in the links given above. It causes a lot of unnecessary worry otherwise.

Wishing you all the best