A plea if you’re going in for checks, pleeeease do a lateral flow test ladies!

[Bellyrumble]

Hi ladies, I hope anyone reading this is well and pregnancy going okay!

I was in maternity assessment on Friday at 36weeks. High BP, protein, swelling. Fortunately now on close monitoring for PE and so far going ok with BP medication.

Sadly someone on the ward tested positive for covid when I was in- meaning my husband and I are now classed as close contacts and have to isolate for 10 days.
It means if I happen to go into labour or need to be induced during that time he can’t be present.

We’re not quite old enough yet to be double jabbed and use that exemption, his second jab isn’t until next week. It’s just bad timing.

This is a plea to anyone going in to a ward for routine checks/ assessment where not a complete 999 emergency.

please please please do a lateral flow test first if you can. I know they aren’t 100% accurate but I’m so scared right now of going into labour or being induced and my husband being unable to be there because the only place we have been since 28 weeks (the hospital) we have been exposed to covid.

It’s a risk we took on Friday with him coming in with me and it’s a risk we won’t take again but I thought I’d highlight the situation as quite naively I hadn’t considered this could happen to us.

I’m also now (rightly so) being separated from others in hospital at all these appointments I have to go to, just incase I’ve caught it, I’m basically being treated as if I’m covid positive just incase. This reduces the risk to anyone else on the ward whilst I’m in, but I will continue to do lateral flow tests to ensure I’m doing my bit to protect others from possible isolation where a situation like mine might have been avoided if the person had done a LFT before going in.

I hope I don’t offend anyone here but I just wanted to highlight what can happen to other mums to be if we accidentally come into contact with them and are carrying covid

To add- I don’t blame the person who went in there with covid, I feel terrible for them and I really hope they recover well and don’t end up really poorly. They clearly have it worse off than I do,

I’m just trying to think of ways to reduce this from happening to others as it’s not a very nice thing for us to have to think about, having to labour alone

That’s very sad, LFTs are standard for my hospital and you have to take them to your appointments. Most appointments are still being done virtually to reduce risk.

Really highlights the importance of being jabbed, especially in trusts without any policy.

We’re not quite old enough yet to be double jabbed and use that exemption, his second jab isn’t until next week. It’s just bad timing

How old are you? Most over 18’s I know are now double jabbed. That age group has been eligible since june.

I’m quite surprised you’ve not been double jabbed yet. And that you’ve been nowhere but the hospital since 28 weeks. That’s very isolating- I’m 37 weeks pregnant now and have been basically continuing as normal.

@Reallyreallyborednow we are under 30 but over 25. couldn’t get him booked for his first until end of June and second jab until 4th sept, he literally booked it the day he got a text saying he could but there were so many people booking on the system that’s the soonest he could get an appointment (big city, lots of students etc, we were shocked how far in advance they were booking!) He is just past the 8 weeks from jab 1 now so once out of isolation on Monday he will be going to a walk in clinic for the second one to hurry things along and be double jabbed asap

I personally don’t want to be jabbed in pregnancy and I accept that is my own choice to take the risk (and don’t want to debate that here to be honest). That’s why we have stayed in from 28 weeks, own choice.

The point of my post was to highlight birth partners potentially being excluded from labour if they are just short of their double jabbed status, like my husband is by literally a few days :/ I’ve done an LFT before every single appointment and will continue to do so.

@Anon08 our hospital policy is LFTs to be done twice a week by patients and support people, and to be shown on entry by support people or they are refused. They can’t however turn away patients- and I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to prove I’ve done a LFT before going in (even though I always do one). Even when I went in yesterday, and they knew I was on a close contact list, they didn’t ask for proof of my LFT test

I’ve raised it with the unit- there was also a guy sat in waiting area who hadn’t done a test and was allowed to sit amongst patients on Friday night as he wasn’t on the actual ward…. Not good!

Keeping my fingers toes (and legs!) crossed until this period passes.

I had to go in for a growth scan today and a partner had gone in with the mum. He’d been sat in the waiting room for 10 mins when they came and asked for his lateral flow test result. It transpired he hadn’t got one, so had to leave. But you feel the damage of him being there potentially could’ve been done.
Our trust do test anyone admitted with a SAMBA (faster than pcr but better than lateral flow apparently) test to eliminate that happening on wards.

You should get the jab and protect yourself and not rely on others following guidance

Hey we had to isolate waiting in similar situation for my son's covid results back in October, but back then they took nearly 4 days to return (negative thankfully) I was 40 weeks, and if I had gone into labour it would have meant I was on my own! Fingers crossed you will be okay at 36 weeks but just to say I appreciate the stress and I hope it works out for you.
Following that, when I did give birth, there was someone covid positive on my postnatal ward so baby and I had to isolate for the first 14 days of her life. Covid life when pregnant is no fun!

@SillyBry that happened on Friday with us, I was waiting outside the ward whilst they sorted me a bed, we’d shown our LFT texts on entry (did them literally as we set off for hospital as it was a bit of a sudden reuway to go in) and waited outside in the waiting area.

Man pacing back and forth having not done a test, pressing buzzer etc. I felt really uncomfortable as I think he should have been asked to leave the hospital (harsh but away from patients!)
I’ve raised it with the hospital so hopefully they pay more attention to it.

I doubt he was the positive test- if he couldn’t be bothered to test at all before going, I doubt he subsequently tested at home and rang them to let them know but you never know!

a situation like mine might have been avoided if the person had done a LFT before going in. it might have been someone who had done a LFT though. But yes I get your point, it's very tough having a baby in covid times. Good luck

@User5827372728 that’s not the point of my post though- even if I was jabbed it would make zero difference to this situation, of my husband (who is single jabbed and due his second imminently) potentially missing out on birth

I’m aware I’m at increased risk of complications having not been jabbed, that’s a different issue and the reason I’ve not been anywhere since 28 weeks

@seaduck I’m so sorry that happened to you it must have been very stressful at 40 weeks and then so soon after having your LO! :(
Fortunately BP seems okay so I shouldn’t be getting induced this week fingers crossed, I’d just hate for anyone else to be in this situation, closer to 40 weeks in particular

I’ve some sympathy with your husband if that’s how it happened with his jab bookings, but I really can’t feel any obligation to take LFTs to suit the convenience of people who choose not to be vaccinated. As you say, you do so accepting the risks.

@MiddleParking completely get what you’re saying- if he hadn’t been jabbed then I’d have no sympathy for him or our situation but he has done everything he possibly could to get jabbed as soon as he possibly could to avoid this from happening. It’s crap timing with the dates that’s all, typical.

Fortunately If he goes to the walk in centre the day after our isolation finishes (which happens to be 2 days after his jab was already booked!) then he will be 14days after his second vaccine by the time I’m 39 weeks 🤞. So this situation won’t happen to us again

[quote Bellyrumble]@MiddleParking completely get what you’re saying- if he hadn’t been jabbed then I’d have no sympathy for him or our situation but he has done everything he possibly could to get jabbed as soon as he possibly could to avoid this from happening. It’s crap timing with the dates that’s all, typical.

Fortunately If he goes to the walk in centre the day after our isolation finishes (which happens to be 2 days after his jab was already booked!) then he will be 14days after his second vaccine by the time I’m 39 weeks 🤞. So this situation won’t happen to us again[/quote]
It was you I meant.

I am sorry for you though OP no one needs the stress of thinking they’ll have to labour alone.

Our trust doesn’t check anything in regards to LFs, they just assume/hope you’ve done it I guess.

So neither of you have left the house other than hospital appointments in 8 weeks?

Does your DH not work? Not see family? Literally not left the house?

It’s unfortunate whats happened and I really hope you get through the isolation period without incident. But surely you considered this when making the decision to remain unvaccinated?
Surely you would have considered that if you caught it or DH did, not being double vaxxed would lead to massive inconveniences at best?

Unless when you say you haven’t left the house you literally mean NO CONTACT WITH ANYONE then you’re being unfair to lay the responsibility with anyone but yourselves, sorry OP.

Do wish you well though and hope baby stays put until due date!

@MiddleParking fair enough but that wasn’t the point in my post- I’m aware of the risks of not being vaccinated and I’m certainly not asking people to do LFTs to counter that- I accept it’s my own decision and I accept the risk of picking covid up myself- that’s on me. I’ll be getting jabbed as soon as I can post baby but having gone through 2 years of fertility treatment and all the mixed info I’ve received from professionals, (pre pregnancy, and during pregnancy) I made my own choice to wait until the baby is here.

It was to raise awareness that LFTs are also there for the sake of people in my husbands position, who are not quite double jabbed but keen to be, and potentially miss the birth of their child because they’re a close contact.

All I’m hearing here is a whole load of stress and inconvenience caused by testing, isolation and jabbing, and none caused by anyone being actually ILL?
What do you think the wards do when it’s flu or RSV going round? - viruses that are actually a concern for young babies unlike covid. You get your own room if you’re ill or have been recently exposed to someone is.
Luckily testing is optional in my hospital (as I suspect it is in all but they make out like it’s not) as the most contagious problem here is mass hysteria.

You are being very nice about it all.
It isn’t about you being double jabbed. The hospital has a policy and people should adhere to it.
Hospitals have amongst them the most vulnerable people and expectant mothers.
I suspect a lot of people don’t bother testing properly. It’s just so selfish.
There is no point getting worked up about it, but that doesn’t make it ok. Of course, people will make mistakes, tests won’t pick things up etc but people shouldn’t visit unless they adhere to guidance

@SweetBabyCheeses99 Concerned about giving birth without my husband (who has done everything by the book…) is mass hysteria? Hmm. I think it’s a valid concern to be honest,

I don’t make the rules re testing and isolation but they do mean that if I was to go into labour this week he couldn’t be there.

There is someone ill- the poor patient who actually has covid who tested positive on Friday. I feel sorry for them in this too. I hope they are okay.

@Onestep2021 thank you, for being kind.

Oh and best of luck OP. I just read about your two years of fertility treatment. I bet you can’t wait for the cuddles. Not long to go now… ENJOY

[quote Bellyrumble]@SweetBabyCheeses99 Concerned about giving birth without my husband (who has done everything by the book…) is mass hysteria? Hmm. I think it’s a valid concern to be honest,

I don’t make the rules re testing and isolation but they do mean that if I was to go into labour this week he couldn’t be there.

There is someone ill- the poor patient who actually has covid who tested positive on Friday. I feel sorry for them in this too. I hope they are okay.

@Onestep2021 thank you, for being kind.[/quote]
Would he be allowed in during the active labour part anyway? That's what they did back in the old days pre testing at one point (last year).

But yes it was shit only having DH there for part of it but it was all a bit weird back then.

Good luck and I hope you and baby have lots of lovely cuddles x

How old are you OP? Sorry if you’ve said and I missed it.

No it wasn’t the point in your post but it is a salient point that renders your post quite hypocritical. You’ve made a choice that makes you more likely to actually make other people in that hospital poorly, rather than just inconvenience them. I’m in the same age range as you and am a few weeks behind you in pregnancy (but got vaccinated earlier than my age group as offered by my trust) and I don’t believe you’ve been given credible advice by medical professionals anytime recently to remain unvaccinated in pregnancy.