Tag Archives: Maternity

From top: Protest outside the Rotunda Hospital in May; HSE Clinical Director of Women and Infants Health Dr Peter McKenna

This morning/afternoon.

New guidance from the HSE will allow for partners to attend 12-week scans and to be present during some caesarean sections and early scans if miscarriages are suspected.

HSE Clinical Director of Women and Infants Health Dr Peter McKenna said with the move to ease restrictions further there are conflicting priorities; to keep people safe and also to keep the process of childbirth as normal as possible.

He said the conversation can mean tension between these two priorities.

Dr McKenna said if a C-section is done under general anaesthetic, there would not be much of a role for partners to support, as the woman would be asleep.

Additional lifting of maternity hospital Covid restrictions in coming weeks – HSE official (RTÉ)

RollingNews

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

This afternoon.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

New mothers joined by TD Brid Smith (top left) and Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald (in pink pic 3) with a petition for the Taoiseach to extend the Maternity Payment ‘by a few weeks’ because of the Covid 19 Crisis .

Above from top: Andrea Simic with Nika (5 months); Tara MacDarby with Calum (4 months) ; Paula Solan with Quinn Leonard (20 weeks), and Amy McGivney with Ki  (14 weeks),

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

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Ahead of tonight’s football friendly with Iceland at the Aviva Lansdowne Road Nua

When Iceland beat England in the last 16 of Euro 2016, it marked one of the most famous days in its footballing history – and one doctor has spotted a clue as to how the country might have celebrated.

Asgeir Petur Thorvaldsson, a doctor in the anaesthesiology department at Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, tweeted that his maternity ward had administered unprecedented levels of pain relief over the weekend – coincidentally nine months exactly since Iceland’s 2-1 victory over England.

Roughly translated, Mr Thorvaldsson said: “Set a record for the number of epidurals in the maternity duty this weekend.”

Iceland’s most glorious moment was the defeat of England in the first knockout round, while their fans provided one of the signature sounds of the tournament – the “Thunderclap” celebration.

In fairness.

Baby boom in Iceland hospital nine months to the day since win over England at Euro 2016 (Telegraph)