Face masks during labour

[MrsRose2018]

Hi

I have just been at my hospital for my usual twice weekly monitoring and a new policy for MY hospital (I’m aware others have had it for a while) has just come in making face masks mandatory for everyone - all staff, patients, partners etc.

I asked My midwife whether this will be required during labour and I was told “they don’t know” because the policies are changing so frequently with no consultation! They didn’t even know they had to challenge people not wearing them till this morning!

She assumes that birth partners will have to wear them constantly for the duration of their visit but said it “seems unlikely” for the mothers in ACTIVE labour as they need to regulate their breathing and get to the gas and air etc but she just can’t say...

I’ll hold my hands up and admit that I’m an absolute wimp and whilst I understand this is for the greater good and safety of others wearing a mask really distresses me! It gets me hot and flustered and itchy and I just don’t manage well! I’m also being induced in 12 days and very anxious at the prospect of wearing one for days on end!

Does anyone have any experience of the face masks? Any advice or positive stories? I’m a bag oh hormones today and this is just the final straw for me..

X

@MrsRose2018 I know what you mean. I've also had a lot of complications relating to potential pre term labour and feel like I've 'manned up' so many times for so many scans and examinations by myself that I just can't do it anymore. Resilience reserves are exhausted, I just want to be able to relax about some of it! Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well for you.

And yet patients are coming up with every excuse under the fucking sun to not wear lightweight surgical face masks to protect me and other staff.

Are you for real? Let's hope you're not a midwife. OP the local hospital has also said the same as it's the guidance, although they aren't expecting women in active labour to actually wear one because it's fucking ridiculous.

Did @johnstonfont actually read that this is about labour?! Not a very empathetic comment at all.

Honestly I’ve been worrying about this recently, I’m due in 6 weeks. I would flat out have to refuse to wear one in labour, that would add so much panic for me. I’d be giving birth in the car park too @AliasGrape!

I know everywhere will be different, but this is the statement from the one here, it sounds sensible:

All pregnant women attending for any outpatient appointment such as an antenatal appointment, scans or a visit to the day assessment unit will be requested to wear a facemask or face covering for any appointment from today Monday the 15th June. Women attending in labour or who have been admitted into the hospital for example for an induction or after they have given birth to their baby may wear a mask or face covering if they choose and if it is safe to do so. We do not expect labouring women to wear a facemask. Birthing partners will be asked to wear a facemask whilst in the hospital.

I'm sure most will follow similar procedures, I would ask your midwives next time you speak to them and see if they can offer some reassurance.

And yet patients are coming up with every excuse under the fucking sun to not wear lightweight surgical face masks to protect me and other staff

I’m hoping the sweary unempathetic twit who wrote that had simply misread the OP and all the following messages.

@johnstonfont Have you ever been in labour? Do you really for one second think wearing a mask is appropriate at this time? I’m a midwife I’m wearing PPE on 13 hour shifts daily, it’s horrendous. That does not mean I want the patients in my care to have their rights denied, their birth experience altered, their pain relief restricted and the bonding with their newborn affected.

It's been made very clear in our trust that staff and patients are expected to wear masks (to be honest, even under the most bizarre and wasteful circumstances which we're all scratching our heads about!) and that outpatients should be asked to wear masks.
It's also been made clear that inpatients should not be 'made' to do so. There is a specific part of the trustwide FAQ's that refer to maternity units and no labouring or pre or post natal woman who is taken will be required to wear one.
Also it will not be trust to trust based that if you need to attend hospital and feel you cannot wear a mask that you'll be refused treatment. The NHS as a whole won't implement any 'forcing' of people/ women/ men/ children who refuse to wear a mask in any form of inpatient treatment. People with breathing problems, claustrophobia under masks and labouring women should and will remain exempt, please don't worry about that.

Interesting that poster hasn't come back to confirm if they have given birth.

Not a chance I would of worn a mask in Labour. Nope. I can't believe any reasonable health care worker would expect that of a labouring woman, especially with how critical breathing is to the process.

You wouldn’t be able to use G&A wearing a mask so I doubt they’re asking women in active labour to wear one.

Q. Will I need to wear a facemask when I attend hospital for antenatal appointments, or to have my baby?

To reduce transmission of coronavirus in hospitals, the government have announced that from 15 June, face masks and coverings must be worn by all NHS hospital staff and visitors in England. All visitors and outpatients, including pregnant women attending antenatal appointments or scans, must wear face coverings at all times to protect other women and patients, and staff from coronavirus. This should be communicated with you through your appointment letter, local Trust websites and social media outlets. At present hospital inpatients, including women giving birth, are not required to wear masks.

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/#general

This link takes you to the relevant section www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/#choices

Hi all, just dropping by to say that it looks like johnstonfont has left the site and won't be back to answer any of the comments.

@NameChange30 you absolute hero!!

Well done and thank you so much 💕

You're welcome
Best of luck for the rest of your pregnancy and for the birth! No too long to go now

I'm just going to go along with what the hospital tell me is policy at the time. I'm due in September so I imagine there will be changes between now and then.