Experiences of giving birth during current Covid wave?

[JaneEyreFunfair]

Anyone given birth very recently and want to tell me how it went? Especially in an area with a high case rate. I'm 37 weeks and in London, so I'm getting pretty scared hearing about how overwhelmed the hospitals are at the moment.

Have you considered a home birth?

No, I wouldn't really want one at the best of times, and especially not now with concerns over the availability of ambulances. I'm hoping to go to the midwife-led unit, which I feel offers many of the same advantages as a home birth, but is on the same site as the hospital.

Hi, I gave birth in a London hospital 10 days ago. I ended up being in Sunday-Tuesday and giving birth in the Labour ward. I was given a Covid swab in triage and that was it. My partner had to wait outside while I was assessed in triage but then could come in while I was on the ward over night and then was with me in the delivery room. We were allowed to stay in the room 4hrs after birth and then I was moved to the post natal ward and he had to go home (it was about 9.30pm) and he could come back 9am the next day and we were discharged by lunchtime.
I was pleasantly surprised how normal it all felt - the midwives etc all wore masks but neither my partner or I were asked to apart from when moving from ward to room.

No worries OP. Sorry I don't have any experience to add but I wish you well x

@JaneEyreFunfair not recently but 8 months ago. Very similar to others he wasn’t allowed in until I was in our room but I think that’s normal he came in with me for c section as well however once I was on the ward my DP had to go home and couldn’t visit while I stayed (only for one night had an emergency c section) I was sent home earlier than expected but I didn’t mind that.
Try not to worry I think they are trying to keep things as normal as they can. You’ll get tested for covid and then it’s just normal pregnancy care. Sorry i know you asked for recent but thought it would help. Ignore if it doesn’t ☺️

@Catty1720 Thanks! No, it's still good to hear, I guess I'm just panicking a little about staffing levels in an emergency, but I know they will be trying their best to keep things normal. I'm OK with him not being able to stay after the birth, as we have a toddler at home, so he would likely have gone home to take over childcare even without Covid.

@Alice925 Thanks, that's very reassuring! Interesting that he was able to stay with you on the ward beforehand as well, I would have expected not, but I suppose it depends on the hospital. I was also on a ward for 24 hours before my first birth (induction), but am very much hoping things will move quicker the time, since it's the second time around...

Congratulations, and hope you and baby are doing well!

Thank you! We are doing well. Happy to be back home now

Check your hospital website - mine had all the details of when partners could stay before and after which meant I knew where I stood and there was no uncertainty

My understanding is that partners are now allowed to be there for the full birth - even when not in active labour.

Hey, I just wanted to chip in here to (hopefully) give some reassurance: I gave birth in early Dec and did actually have a bit of an emergency (emergency transfer, forceps in theatre, unexpectedly sick baby in NICU) and the staff were completely amazing - there was no sense of them being overwhelmed or understaffed. They literally saved my baby's life :-)
The restrictions on visiting were a little bit crap but the staff were very flexible for the first 12 hours in letting us stay together and they were so supportive (even when I buzzed to ask them to take my compression socks off so I could shower and for them put them back on afterwards 😂)
Try not to worry: it becomes a distant memory very quickly once you're home and your baby is peeing on you at 3am ;-)

@EithneBlue sorry yours was so scary but mine was similar too baby’s heart stopped so emergency c section and I couldn’t fault the staff but I couldn’t agree more the amount of sick/pop/wee soon erases the memories 🤣 my baby was my first so nothing to compare it too but I was worried like you OP and I was very well looked after

@EithneBlue Thank you, that is really good to hear.

That sounds like a really scary experience at any time. Glad to hear that it's a distant memory already and it sounds like baby is doing fine!

I'm in hospital at the moment due to twin pregnancy complications- pre natal is busy so the only bed available is on post natal which isn't great when trying to sleep heavily pregnant surrounded by screaming newborns (but last time I was in last month there was loads of space in prenatal)

Anyway it's given me an insight into things as I've been here a week.

I'm not in London but am in a hot spot area. Major city - large hospital. I got an Uber when I had a massive bleed due to the wait times on ambulances - the ambulances bringing covid patients in often queue all the way up the road all through the night. But the maternity unit is separate to a&e so other than seeing the flashing lights it doesn't impact on me or the staff from the looks of it

On arrival I get seen in the delivery suite - again very calm and quiet. Partners are called in when labour is starting. On quiet nights they allow the parents to stay together a bit longer down there and don't rush you out. For me it's a bit stressful as we need to arrange parents to come from 2 hours away to look after older child to enable DH to come but that would be the same even if there wasn't Covid.

Staffing levels appear to be the same as they usually are. One midwife told Me by next week 60% of the staff will be vaccinated - they wear a sticker on their name badge to say if they've had it. One did say due to the amount of people taking the piss with key worker status her and her husband (prison officer) didn't get a space for her school kids which I think is disgraceful but that's another rant for another day

The ward tonight is actually pretty quiet. Women and babies are being discharged fairly quickly - same day or next morning after birth, 1-2 nights after c section. Midwives are busy but they are doing a great job and on hand to support new mums. I'm in awe of their patience and professionalism - obviously with no partners being allowed on the wards and this hospital being in an area where there are a lot of women who don't speak English they are relying on phone translators, family members etc when talking to some of the patients.

My hospital has ZERO visiting hours - which is actually quiet nice 🙈 (for me!) as ward is calm and quiet. Once you've delivered the father can stay for only 1 hour only - whether that is post c section or normal birth. There is NO visiting hours. Some women seem to think the rules don't apply to them and complain and try and get their partners in but the midwifes are very strict. Even with twins no partners are allowed. If baby has to go to NICU then both parents can visit there. When you are ready to leave the midwife helps you and baby downstairs to meet him with the car

It can be difficult with the mask wearing given how hot the wards are heated - you have to put it on whenever a member of staff approaches your bed or if you get up and move away from your bay

All in all I've been pleasantly reassured by what I've seen and experienced (I wouldn't have chosen this hospital before as heard lots of bad reviews but having twins means I have no choice)

If anything it's the community midwife support at home in terms of checking baby and c section recovery which I've heard is more hit and miss now

Hi @JaneEyreFunfair (love your username).
I've not yet had experience of it but am in the same situation as you - 38 weeks, and about to give birth in London. Some of my antenatal group have given birth already and everything has been fine - and in one case, raved about the care she received.
Me, I'm worried - the situation seems to be ballooning out of control, and I know that there are more and more Covid-positive women also needing care when they give birth. They only have so many private rooms for them; I can't say I'm not worried - especially about being on the ward after my c-section; and also, just going in a couple of days before for the Covid test, as I'm high risk for pregnancy and Covid (40, mild asthma, possible GD that has popped up in the last few weeks leading to large baby). But I know I'm one to worry. I had a fear of pandemics before this one even started!

Personally, I think it's a critical time with the numbers being what they are in London this week... One in 30 yesterday? What will it be next week, or the week after? But worrying about it won't help, and also, the London hospitals seem to be approaching risk very differently from each other (I'm not crazy about the measures in mine - I've seen outpatients in the hospital without masks etc, and social distancing not being kept during busy times). Also, the situation is changing daily. So it will be hard to anticipate if this week will be the same as next week.
However, I think the staff themselves are doing a great job (except for not telling people off enough for taking masks off). Many of them have had Covid already - they get tested every 4 days at my hospital, and I'm sure the vaccine will further help.
Sorry - no proper experience yet - but just chiming in with your worries. It is a stressful time to be pregnant for sure - and there are a lot of us out there in the same situation. The reassuring stories are so helpful. @ivfbeenbusy, thank you for such a detailed post and hope you are doing well and that the complications are manageable and you'll soon be home safely. Good luck with your twin pregnancy

Please remember that maternity services have nothing to do with covid except obviously taking precautions. Their beds won't have covid patients in and they aren't taking covid emergencies so apart from staff having to isolate or being unwell (which could happen anytime, not just a pandemic!) Your maternity service shouldn't be hugely lacking.

@Mimiwish

At my hospital covid positive pregnant women don't have private rooms - they have a whole ward together - which is obviously a sign of the number of women coming in positive now but means they have dedicated consistent staff away from the standard post natal wards and staff are not moving from private room with covid to the side wards with non covid and there isn't covid women using the same corridors or toilets

Staff also have boxes of home tests and test themselves several times a week

Patients coming in get rapid testing so results back in 4 hours - that is one thing which confuses me though is that usually within 4 hours I've been moved to the ward - if my test subsequently came back positive I would already Be on a ward putting others at risk 🤷‍♀️

My maternity unit has security on the door checking people use the anti bac and wearing a mask. God forbid a member of staff sees a patient not wearing a mask properly and wear it under their nose as they aren't afraid to give them a right bollocking 🤣

No partners allowed to any scans here either and that's been the case since March

My one fear is NICU and with twins it could be a long stay - if god forbid I was to catch covid then I wouldn't be allowed in to see the babies. But I understand why due to the risk involved to vulnerable babies. We take as many precautions as we can albeit as each week passes risk of NICU decreases - we could have used key worker status to send DD to school but decided to keep her home as I was WFH anyway. DH has taken some parental leave to see us through the next couple of weeks until
My c section. It's impossible to get supermarket deliveries but DH going once a week only.

@ivfbeenbusy - that's very interesting about the Covid-positive women being on the same ward rather than private rooms, probably because of the volume: I know there are many women with Covid giving birth at the moment. So stressful, and what a time - wishing everyone who is sick a swift recovery!
Thank you again for all your insights: it's so interesting hearing about this from your experience seeing how things are run. I'm very impressed your hospital has security at the door. I know that isn't happening at mine - and also the rapid testing - I'm sure that isn't happening at Imperial College or I wouldn't be needing to be tested a couple of days earlier, and when I last spoke to them about it, partners aren't being tested at all. Good point about already being on the ward for 4 hours already - what's the point in that! Especially with this highly contagious new strain.

I'm really hoping your twins are okay and that they don't need a NICU stay; and that if they do, you remain Covid negative so can see them. Wishing you so much luck with this - fingers crossed all will be well and they will be with you at home. When are you due?

Sounds like you made the right choice about keeping DD at home. I really feel for you and am sending you the best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy . Hope your stay at hospital is short and you are soon out the other side of this.

xx

@ivfbeenbusy Thanks for sharing so much detail, especially when you're dealing with complications. Scary about the ambulances, but, it sounds as though things are OK once you're in there. I'm surprised so many staff have been vaccinated - I thought it was going to take longer due to the over-80s being prioritised.

All the best for the rest of your pregnancy, and I hope you get to go home soon!

@Mimiwish It's definitely a scary time, and I can see you are particularly concerned, being higher risk. And it's going to take another couple of weeks at least to see the impact of lockdown. At least we did go into stricter measures earlier than the rest of the country, which might help a bit? Cases in my borough look as though they might be levelling off a bit, but still twice the national average, and it obviously takes a while for any improvement to start to show up in hospital numbers. I should probably spend less time looking at the news and following the numbers, as it just sets off anxiety! Good luck with everything!

@JaneEyreFunfair - oh good, so glad numbers are levelling off in your borough! Fingers crossed that the tighter measures will soon reflect in the figures, as you say. And I totally agree - the news coming in on my phone every five mins isn't helping with the anxiety ;) My partner wants me to turn news notifications off my phone :D xx

I think it depends on the area but my hospital did a Facebook live recently to put everyone’s minds at rest! Although the rest of the hospital is locked down, maternity visiting hours have stayed open at the full 12 hours just for birth partner, partner can be there as soon as support is needed (I think with exception of triage) and if you give birth in the middle of the night they can stay until you’re transferred to a ward then can come back at the beginning of visiting hours!

Just remember your not alone so many women have had babies between lockdown one and now so post away if you have concerns I’m sure one of us if not more can help.
After care for me was odd I had one health visitor visit but my midwife appointments were all over the phone. My DD had her 5 day check at the GPs and my c section was checked but that’s all we’ve had. If I want a HV I have to go on zoom every Wednesday but it’s says I can’t talk about personal things as it’s a group chat not 1 on 1 but there are numbers to ring in the red book you get should you need help. But as I said my DD is now 8 months old so what I’m saying may be useless to you.

@Perfect28 most home births are cancelled now. Mine was due to ambulance service no longer supporting the community midwives.

OP I gave birth in the first lockdown. I found the anxiety about what would be available and how things would go unbearable, but it was ok on the day. I hope similar happens for you.

@Sitt Thanks. Always worth mentioning that you're completely within your legal rights to have a homebirth regardless, if that's what you choose. :)

Indeed it is. The only ones I know that have gone ahead under current circumstances have engaged independent midwives because it is beyond many women’s personal risk thresholds to risk not having community midwives or ambulance services available, but never mind, that is not the subject of the thread

@Sitt curious to know where home births have been cancelled? As I’ve just booked mine in and all fine, no mention of them not going ahead. Maybe it was a first lockdown issue? Has anyone else done/planning on doing a home birth during this current lockdown? I’m due at the beginning of April. Anxious about it but birth centre an issue due to childcare for my toddler (all family overseas). Would love to hear if others have successfully done homebirths!

@harriet63 I'm planning a homebirth in a few weeks and it's all going to plan. Ambulance service here is fine. I think this was a London issue, I'm not sure if they have yet been reinstated. I can't help but feel that the announcement was made to discourage women, rather than a firm 'we will not attend'. OP have you had your baby? How was everything?