visitors during labour Archives

Midwives reassure expectant mums in the Harrogate district

The coronavirus crisis has thrown many pregnant women’s birth plans up in the air, causing anxiety and uncertainty in the weeks leading up to their birth. Local registered midwives have offered some calming words of advice.

Leannah Gregory-James experienced the strange circumstances first hand when she gave birth to her first son Alfie at Harrogate Hospital on Sunday. She told The Stray Ferret she was ‘heartbroken’ when her partner wasn’t allowed to stay with her during labour and that she found the experience ‘very difficult’ despite the midwives doing their ‘absolute best’. Leannah explained her story in an emotional video which she sent to The Stray Ferret and was widely shared on social media.

Leannah Gregory-James gave birth to her first baby, Alfie Gregory-James, in Harrogate Hospital on Sunday

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has been reviewing It’s policies on visitors and birthing partners in light of the spread of Covid 19 and confirmed how the rules currently stand:

Partners are not allowed to come onto Pannal ward during the induction process – this can take 24+ hours in some cases
Partners are allowed to be in the delivery room whilst the woman is in labour
Partners can stay in the delivery room until mum and baby are transferred to Pannal ward – this can be a couple of hours
The hospital is no longer able to allow any visiting on the postnatal ward following the birth (including partners/birth partners)

The hospital said the Pannal ward or delivery suite was not understaffed at the time Leannah gave birth. Alison Pedlingham, Head of Midwifery at Harrogate Hospital made a personal statement to inform parents of the situation:

As you can appreciate, we are all living in challenging times and I wanted to reassure you of the following that is specific to maternity services at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust:

That we remain committed to providing the highest standard of maternity care to you and your family despite the challenges presented by the current situation. This means that we are having to make some changes to the way we are working, but this is with your safety at our heart and also the safety our all our staff

That we do have a plan to manage COVID-19 and we are receiving regular information and recommendations from the professional bodies; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives as well as other national groups

That midwives in the department are only working in maternity services and not being asked to support other wards or departments in the organisation. This means that we can continue to support you throughout your pregnancy and birth experience.

That we continue to have senior medical cover/support 24 hours a day.

The decisions we have to make are difficult ones but we are aiming to protect women and their families as well as the staff providing care to them.

The Stray Ferret spoke to Val Readman, pictured, who is a retired midwife turned hypnobirthing teacher. She told The Stray Ferret that women should try to find out what specific arrangements their maternity ward have in place.:

“Remember, if mum is calm and well, baby is calm and well. Carry on with normal routines in the home, eat well, drink plenty of water and have a short rest during the day. Keep In touch with friends and family by phone, facetime etc. If a mum is well and all aspects of her pregnancy have been normal she should stay at home with her birth partner as long as possible when she goes into labour. There is research that suggests that women labour quicker and easier in their own environment.”

Stay connected

Meanwhile, Annie Robinson, a registered midwife who runs Blooming Babies antenatal and postnatal classes in Harrogate, said there are ways to keep the pregnancy and birthing experience as positive as possible. She is continuing to teach mums essential skills and help them to build a network of supportive friends via online classes.

She said: “It’s important to stay connected with your health providers as this will reduce confusion and anxieties, and provide realistic expectations of your care. Today I held a Zoom virtual meet up for Blooming Babies Aquanatal mums-to-be, providing support as a registered midwife, but also to provide some social interaction between the mums.

“One of the mums, who was 38 weeks pregnant, had to change her birth plan due to the current situation. We discussed this and how she still had time to prepare for a different birth experience. We also talked about trying to relax, with relaxing music and practising breathing techniques.”

The birth itself is not the only aspect of parenthood which has changed. Val Readman also said that going home from the hospital it can be a very daunting experience. With the recommendation to isolate for 12 weeks, this means family and friends are unable to come and meet your newborn and midwife visits are also reduced. She said:

“It is hard not to be able to have visitors, but with technology they can easily keep in touch with friends and relatives on a regular basis and maintain a good support network. The first few weeks with a new baby is a very special time and couples should work together to enjoy it, getting as much rest as possible, and mum should sleep during the day when baby is sleeping.”