Coombe It Concerns

at

Last night.

The Coombe, Dublin.

A candle lit Vigil highlighting covid restrictions on partners of pregnant women accessing maternity hospitals .

Via Irish Times:

The Uplift campaigning group, which organised the event, said a petition to back a more widespread loosening of restrictions had attracted more than 50,000 signatures.

Last week the HSE partially acknowledged the mounting concerns by reversing a ban on partners attending 20 week scans, but advocates say it needs to go further.

Uplift director Siobhan O’Donoghue said while they supported public health guidance there was evidence of “rising” trauma levels among expectant mothers attending services alone.

“There is a collective push now by people who are directly affected to make sure maternity services are inclusive of partners,” she said, stressing a belief that greater access could be safe.

Rally held at maternity hospital over partner visiting restrictions (irish Times)

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

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13 thoughts on “Coombe It Concerns

  1. Janet, dreams of a steamed clootie

    from personal experience, having all the scans and test results on your own is pretty tough, the thought of having to be the one to tell bad news to your partner is over whelming,
    my partner WAS allowed to the 20 week one and the difference it has made was amazing, telling your partner your pregnant and them actually seeing little hands waving at them hits home in a totally different way and allows them to digest the information and give you the support you need,
    o actually had a nightmare I gave birth to a red bad tempered cat last night and that I was out in a room with no windows, had an IV in my foot for some reason and they wouldn’t let my partner in for me to get his help, if you had asked me I would have said I wasn’t too worried about it but honestly I really want him to be there.

    1. millie bobby brownie

      I went through all my scans and appointments alone this time, and it was fairly daunting, especially because of my previous pregnancy. The 20 week scan – which any parent will tell you is such a big moment in the pregnancy – was really disappointing to do alone.

      That said, a number of my friends gave birth in the height of the covid restrictions, with their partners only being allowed into the hospital after established labour, which was very tough – especially on the first time mothers, and then only being allowed to stay for an hour or two after the birth.

  2. max

    As someone who has had to go through this, walking up and down parnell street waiting is no fun, but the hospitals are incredible efficient, in and out in 15 min on both scans. very nice staff allowed her to video it so i could hear the heart beat.

    I do understand the reluctance to allow partners in, dublin doesn’t really have the capacity to close one of the maternity hospitals in the case of an outbreak, and waiting facilities are far too small even under normal circumstances

    1. Ragamuffin

      A friend of mine was told she wasn’t allowed video the scan to send to the baby’s dad. There was no reason given despite being asked repeatedly why. FFS even if it is against the rules of the hospital, surely all you have to do (as someone in a caring profession) is literally look the other way for a minute?!

  3. Harry

    My current had to spend 3 days in hospital prior to the birth and a week after the birth and i was only able to be with her for 2 hours at the birth. Hospital’s are not relaxing places and she came home completely wiped and exhausted physically and emotionally. It would have been infinitely easier for her… easy is the wrong word here but certainly more helpful… if i could have been there to take some feed, nappies, and just to do all the reassuring that a partner is meant to do.

    It took her a while to recover and a lot of that i now know was not necessary, but this was a few months ago and i appreciate there was a lot less understanding at the time. I think we now know enough, and have enough good practice knowledge, to allow partners to support their partners.

    In the plus side, mid-wives say the hospitals have never worked better without all the visitors so they can do away with those! Partners or designates are different though, that’s about patient care.

  4. Andrew

    “covid restrictions on partners of pregnant women ”

    Don’t they mean ‘pregnant people’ as Colm O’Gorman might say?

  5. broadbag

    Is that Holly Cairns again? As ‘rallies’ go that’s up there with the GO’D crowd, it’s more a very small gathering of like-minded people.

    1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

      I guess most people concerned aren’t really in any state to be standing around in the cold on their swollen ankles getting worked up :)

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