NHS guidance

[secretsnowsquirrel]

I’ve just about had enough with the NHS maternity preventing new mums and mums to be have the support they need during scans, appointments, birth.

I’m sure most of you have seen, but NHS England released new guidance demanding that trusts make it so that partners (or other support partners) are present for every stage of the pregnancy and birth.

Many women, myself included, have been through severe trauma alone and unsupported. It is completely inhumane and unacceptable.

Even more disgusting is the Royal College of Midwives response to the new guidance.
They said “The RCM expressed concerns that safety is being sacrificed in favour of popularity”.

Popularity!!!!!!! Talk about trivialising and belittling the mental health and well being of the patients you are supposed to be looking after.

Needless to say, I’ve just been informed that my husband can’t attend my 25 week appointment next week. Just like he hasn’t been able to attend anything else. Most of it has been over the phone anyway, I may as well of been all out at sea. The care has been totally lacking.

They couldn’t care less. Rant over. Off to have a small cry now.

That's so shit. Im going to handcuff my DH to myself when in labour and throw away the key.. Poor man... But it's so ridiculous, we've shared the same bed so probably both have the same risk of contagion.

You should insist he attends on the basis of the NHS England guidance, you have the right to do that now!

Precisely. It’s no additional risk to the mother. Just slightly more risk to the midwife. I guess they could then pose additional risks to other patients, but if PPE is properly adopted that risk should be minimal. What happened to rolling out the lateral flow rapid tests? It’s total BS.

I just can’t understand how so many different trusts can have so many different rules! My trust (tier 4) haven’t changed their maternity policy - 1 person can attend all appointments / scans / tests etc to support. They have just changed the rules for general hospital visiting hours though, but kept the maternity rules unchanged.

It seems so unfair that the level of support you can have depends entirely on your postcode

It's indeed no more risk to the midwifes...you were sat in the car with him on the way there, slept in the same bed.... Etc etc etc for weeks/months you've got what he has and he has what you have!!!!

The problem is what they released is guidance, no trust has to enforce it, alot are trying to make it work by having bigger areas for distancing but its going to be a while before any changes are seen, its total shit! I'm 36 weeks and not even sure what the rules are around the birth! Especially as I'll probably be induced!

Yes there is a heightened risk to the midwife doesn't matter if it's just a small one - you are doubling the people they are exposed to as well as all the other pregnant women in the waiting room..... soon be complaining If maternity wards were turning women away or forced to give birth in corridors or without regular monitoring because midwifes are all off sick/isolating. Fair enough support required for the 12 week scan and the 20 week scan as these tend to be associated with confirming viability and any anomalies for which support required but after that assuming it's just consultant/growth scans??

I've had bad news at scans before most of them alone. I nearly lost my twins a couple of weeks ago at 28 weeks - no partner allowed

They only changed the rules a few days ago and hospitals need time to implement safety measures

Personally I'd prefer my partner being allowed to visit after birth than a 15 minute scan. I'm having twins and once I've had the c section DH is allowed with us for 1 hour and then has to go home - no visiting hours. Won't see us again until we are picked up to go home

I'd prefer to have mine DURING the birth...

Honestly does he need to come to the 25 week appointment? It’s literally just a blood pressure check and urine dipstick.

I agree partners should be present for scans and admissions/labour/post natal care though.

Some serious lack of empathy here, and this is the whole problem. The attitude that, everyone else should just suck it up, is pretty awful. Everyone is different and has different emotional needs. PPE worn correctly should massively reduce risk to midwives, regardless of whether partners are there or not. For most, 25 weeks is the first time they get to hear their baby’s heart beat. So no, it isn’t just a blood pressure check.

Women are already giving birth alone and in corridors, because they don’t have partners fighting their corner for them. So don’t give me the ‘soon be complaining if’ BS.

@secretsnowsquirrel where on earth have you heard of women giving birth in corridors? Also no trust I know of has restricted any birth partner, unless the mother has tested positive which then yes having two people from a positive household is risking the midwives hugely- remember masks don't protect the wearer!

I totally agree, for the main scans and entirety of labour partners should be there and this should be standardised across the whole country, not be some horrendous postcode lottery that doesn't even seem to follow the tier system, its just whatever the particular trust decides.

Its mental that (up until tier 4 was announced) gyms, hairdressers everywhere could be open, sporting events are all slowly going back to normal, and judging by all of of my supermarket trips half the people don't give a flying f*ck about social distancing anymore. Since lockdown #1 we've had schemes like eat out to help out and encouragement to go out and socialise again. Yet women are still facing being given potential life changing, devastating news alone and going through labour alone. I do often wonder if this would be the same story if it were the men who gave birth.

Actually most masks do protect the wearer as well as others, to some extent. And some masks, respirators for example, are intended to fully protect the user. Our local GP surgery has been using the latter. So ‘masks don’t protect the user’ doesn’t hold much water, I’m afraid.

I get it, I really do.

DH had to see our baby for the first time on a blurry phone photo because the machine couldn’t print pictures.

I have had my entire pregnancy in lockdown & even private scan centres were closed until nearly my third trimester.

He hasn’t been able to attend any scans or appointments.

However I would much rather that than something go wrong on a labour ward for any women, because they are short staffed due to midwives isolating.

Many sacrifices have been made during this year, this so happens to be ours.