Partners at appointments yet??

[Mommabear20]

DH and I are TTC baby #2, but am worried he won't be able to come to any of our appointments. Can anyone currently pregnant offer any advise? Are they letting partners in again yet?

@Parkandride I have had bad news at a scan my partner was at work for almost all my appointments.

Not allowed to anything here. I last had a scan 5 weeks ago and midwife appointment this week.

Ours is partner's just for 20 week scan at the moment. We're going for a private scan at 12 weeks before the NHS one so we hear any good or bad news together.

I found out I was pregnant the week before lockdown. Partners still not allowed at scans or appointments here. I have 4 weekly scans (last being 10days ago) and it was still strictly patient only. I can't see it changing any time soon. We had a private reassurance scan at 15 weeks and a private anomaly scan at 20 weeks (just before my nhs one) so that DH could be with me.

@Planty13 i see this response from people on questions like this all the time. Yes, they are medical checks to make sure me and the baby are ok. No it isn't necessary for my partner to attend. That doesnt mean that we dont both want him to be able to attend. Ive had a fairly complicated pregnancy this time and at my last appointment i had a bit of a meltdown and cried on my midwife. Due to the pandemic, its the first time i had met this one, and having my partner there just to hold my hand would have been very comforting for me.

In my area (south west) it's still quite strict though I'm not quite sure why as my county have always had quite low cases compared to the rest of the country.
Both my local hospitals are allowing one birth partner and the 20 week scan. No partners at the 12 week or any subsequent scans or appointments, I know this is partly because the waiting room for the antenatal department is TINY so there just isn't physically enough space for everyone to have a partner & socially distance.
At the moment those who bring a partner need to wait in the main atrium and receive a phone call when to come up to the department.

For giving birth, partners are only allowed on the delivery suite/birth unit. There are currently no visitors allowed on the antenatal or postnatal wards.

In my area West Midlands no partners at either 12 or 20 week scans (I had mine yesterday).
I was told on the phone a few weeks ago he could come but all the signs up in the waiting area yesterday said no partners and there were none in there so assumed if anyone did turn up they were being sent away

My area starting allowing partners to 12 and 20 week scans 3 weeks ago, which I'm very pleased about as it's our first and like @Parkandride said, god forbid something happens I hate to be alone

@Planty13 my main reason for wanting him there is that it's his baby too! I feel like dads have a hard enough time as it is connecting with the baby prior to birth but to be completely excluded from everything is just unnecessary. I understand not being at appointments where it's to check mums health etc but scans are about baby.

My 12 week letter says partners can come but we've since gone into local lockdown so I don't know if it's changed. Or how to find out if it's changed. We had a private scan a couple of weeks ago so not the end of the world if he can't come but I would like the support

@grandmasterstitch

I'd check with your specific hospital as all my letters have said a partner can go but the signs in the hospital waiting areas say differently so i think the letters have very much been automatically generated ones

@ivfbeenbusy the website is still saying partners can attend 12 and 20 week but I have no clue when that was updated. The other hospital I could give birth in has on their website that partners can't attend so I'm hoping it's correct. Not much I can do either way I guess. My scan is just in the X-ray department rather than a maternity unit so that might make a difference. I guess I'll find out!

No partners to either scan where I live. (East London) I have my 20 week scan next week I am dreading going alone.

Scans are mostly yes but quite frankly unless there's complications why do you need someone at normal appointments? This wasn't a "thing" when I had mine, never saw men in the waiting room at the antenatal clinic

I'm near the border of two CCGs, one allows partner in for the lot, scans, induction and labour. The other allows in for scans and labour but not induction. My preferred hospital is the more restricted one, but I can swap to the other one at any time, so we'll review again at 30-ish weeks. Might be worth checking if you're near two!

@Dinosaursdontgrowontrees

No partners to either scan where I live. (East London) I have my 20 week scan next week I am dreading going alone.

I'm having twins after 6 previous losses so have a lot of anxiety around scans but honestly not having my DH there sometimes has been easier - appointments never run on time. I was there 3 hours yesterday - I sat and knitted and chatted to the other ladies. Having a bored looking DH at appointments just makes me more anxious as it's not like you can really talk to each other as the chairs are uncomfortable it's always bloody stifling and so quiet you just know everyone is listening in to your conversations 🤣🤣

movingonup20 - when did you give birth?

My area (Southern) has partners allowed to all scans.