Have you had your birth partner self-isolate before the birth?

[Nam095]

Interested to hear if anyone has had their birth partner self-isolate for 2 weeks prior to their due date to reduce the risk of them catching covid and not being able to be present during the birth? Obviously I know babies can come at any time so it might end up being pointless, but I just asked my partner to ask his work to work from home for the last 2 weeks before I’m due and he absolutely lost his shit saying his work will be too busy to be able to let him work from home and that I don’t understand how his job works and that I’m just going to have to deal with it. Am I being unreasonable by asking this of him, am I being overcautious?

You are definitely not being unreasonable! Me and my husband isolated for 2 weeks before my due date we just didn't want to risk him not being there for the birth! I don't think it's fair that your husband lost his shit all he needs to do is ask. If they say no then they say no but at least he would have asked the question

I didn't, but if he "lost his shit" you're both unreasonable. I'd say no point in him isolating as surely he'll go to supermarket etc anyway in that time?

I asked my DH to do it since week 37.
We only go to the shop but masked and briefly and there is a limited number of people there.

However it sounds like you and your partner don't have the same priorities.
Nobody is wrong or right though...
Just let him go to work. If he missed the birth, his loss.

Hubby and I have had this same discussion over the weekend, he will be asking to work from home in the weeks up to the due date to be as sure as possible he can be there for the birth of his first child, he has been for a year but due in June and his work plan to have them in the office by then (I work from home anyway pandemic or not). We are planning to make the most of the brief respite from lockdown as things ease over apr/may then will both be shielding in June (due 14th june). He didn't think about it for a second it was a total no brainer for us both.
I would feel rly upset if he didn't want to ask to work from home, if its a job where this is perfectly possible, why would he risk missing something so important?

We’ve thought about it, but we also have a dc in nursery who will still be going for continuity and stability over the new baby so it’s a tough call.
DH’s work have potentially agreed to let him wfh and I am not sure if I will be back after Easter in person or not (teacher so worked from home since the kids went back on 8th March) but not sure if HR will expect me in after the break as shielding ends so I’m not sure if that includes me or not.
I’m working up till 38 weeks so may we’ll still be working when I go into labour. I need to think about it a bit more

I'm due in just under 5 weeks. Not something I've asked my partner to do. He doesn't have a job he can do from home, nor would it work financially for us. I also have a DS who is attending nursery.

I was induced at the end of January when the figures were very different.

Myself and DH isolated and we also removed DS from nursery until after the birth. This was advised by my consultant.

We did the same as Mary from 2 weeks before the length of my first pregnancy but my husband WFH anyway. Don't think I'd have expected him to if he went out to work as I just dont imagine many employers would consider it. We avoided the supermarket too. Rates are a lot lower now though; it really is very unlikely he'll have to self isolate at the time you go into labour. Good luck with the birth.

YABU what if you go 2 weeks over due 🤷‍♀️

Virus numbers are on there way down -
Unless he works directly with covid patients his risk of catching it are very very low.

Ink could maybe understand in January when infections were 50,000 per day but not now

Nope- eldest still in nursery too.
Gave birth in November when rates were higher, my husband wasn’t tested, just wore a mask.

I didn't. Good job too, I was a week overdue. Called him home from work when I was in early labour, no problems. It's a slight risk but not large enough in my opinion to warrant self isolation. Have a back up birth partner just in case.

We did when I had DD in August but DH was WFH at that point anyway so we just filled up the freezer and had some friends do doorstep shopping drops for us, so it was straightforward.

You’d be unlucky but it’s tricky to avoid it, I guess. I have a friend who isolated with her husband in the lead up to her due date, but when they tested them on entry he came up positive. The only place either of them had gone was her to the hospital at 38 weeks so she must have picked it up there and passed it on to him (neither had symptoms).

We’ll be isolating from a couple of weeks before (but he’s wfh anyway). Released research in Feb’ stated women in the 3rd trimester are also at much higher risk if they catch COVID.

Very interesting to read different opinions and choices, thanks all! I don’t have a back up birth partner as there’s no one else, my mum lives in another country and she would be the only other option.

It’s true the infection rate will hopefully be a lot lower when I’m due (end of June) so fingers crossed everything works out ok.

My husband is military, can't wfh and has had to work throughout covid. He would have to fight for isolation time off so unless I had an elcs booked it's not worth the hassle.

Yep. Am due in 3 weeks so we are isolating now. We both wfh though so only change is online shopping.

I wouldn't.

I have to say, it's quite privileged to be able to even consider this - what would you do if he had to go out to work, or was self-employed and couldn't afford the time off?

We reduced our contact massively before I gave birth - took DC1 out of nursery temporarily, only did online shops, etc. But this was facilitated by DH working from home which we weren't expecting - he's a teacher and it was during the period that schools shut. If he'd been in work as we'd expected then we'd have just got on with that. This was also in late Jan, when case rates were incredibly high - I don't think I'd do the same now (I wouldn't take DS1 out of nursery - it was really tough having no respite from toddler care at all while 40 weeks pregnant with SPD!), given how much lower cases are.

I know someone who recently had a C section and the hospital told her and her DP to isolate for two weeks if possible. They couldn't do it fully because he had to go out for work. Luckily it was all fine.

I'm due in July and hopefully the cases will be lower but it physically won't be possible for us to isolate as DP is a key worker. Agree with the PP that it's a privilege to even have the option.

@sunflowersandbuttercups if we couldn’t, we wouldn’t... but would take heightened measures. But yes it’s circumstantial and we can, so seems illogical not to really.