Pregnant women's vaccinated partners not allowed to stay with them in hospitals.

Icyseanfitz

what an utter and complete disgrace, as others have said we can have thousands at a football game and pints inside...grand sure, but to have your husband/partner next to you as you give birth to "both" of your child, thats a no go for sure.

As for the person saying, if your care wasnt good enough make a complaint, yeah thats really the paramount thing in a persons head after losing a child, traumatic experience or dying ffs.

Joke of a country at this stage

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117675220#Comment_117675220

It is funny how the Minister for Health and the Department of Health can impose the restrictions on the hospitals as they did at the start of the pandemic but removing the restrictions is left up the management at the hospitals. It is ridiculous that minister cannot order the hospitals to lift the restrictions in line with government guidance.

Floppybits

Newstalk covering this now on The Hard Shoulder. Jesus the stories from the 2 ladies on at the start are horrific.

MrMusician18

It's quite clear that some maternity hospitals are quite happy to have partners there as little as possible as they, quite frankly, get in the way.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701122#Comment_117701122

Just to clarify, I liked this post because I’m sure it’s inconvenient for some maternity hospital staff that women have an extra advocate present. Not because I think vaccinated partners are “in the way”

Donald Trump

I wonder many of the people looking for special treatment would be fine with the situation where they had their baby and were on a ward where all the other new mothers had their family members popping in and out all the time

And it's not only just the "direct" contact. Loads more people around the hospital mean the staff are coming into contact with many more people during the day before attending to the new mother and her baby

If it was me, I'd want to be in a facility that had as few non-essential, non-staff, people traipsing around as possible.

noplacehere

I cannot imagine not having my partner with me for the births and my miscarriage but most importantly on the ward afterwards. There is NO help available. I was sitting in blood bawling crying trying to feed/change the baby overnight without support. All I wanted to do was be at home where at least my mum and family could be with me on those long LONG first nights. I was on a 48hr hold for both. The only light was the 8am mark when he would be able to come up and let me breathe for a few minutes. It would have broken me not having that. God help these women.

For those going through the Coombe I highly recommend the birth reflection service they offer (or at least did). She helped me cope with my first labour and had notes on my file. They were like a magic word on the labour ward ‘Anne in the birth reflection service said…’

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701122#Comment_117701122

Yeah, its easier to pressurise women in labour into various treatments or procedures they don't want or need when there is no one there to advocate for them. Easier to ignore their requests for help too and get on with other work to make their jobs easier.

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701830#Comment_117701830

Given that many of the health professionals who work in maternity care (nurses, midwives and a substantial percentage of physicians, including consultants) are female, why would they put pressure on female patients?

Musefan

Currently pregnant myself. Have gone private (just lucky enough to afford same) so that my partner can attend all scans. It’s money we will find because he will never have another chance to experience this for this pregnancy again.

What really baffles me is that I am a frontline worker in another health sector and I regularly see both parents for appointments in a far less controlled environment than a hospital. My partner works from home and therefore has very little opportunity to get Covid, but I have a risk of doing so daily!

I am not surprised though. I have a research background in maternity care and it’s striking how reluctant hospitals can be to allow you ask maternity patients about their thoughts and experiences, as it’s too “intrusive”. But, it’s not intrusive to have intimate procedures done while on your own at one of the most vulnerable periods in terms of the lifetime experience of mental health difficulties, without social support. I’ve seen dozens of pregnant people left waiting in busy antenatal clinics for hours, trying to cope with heat, uncomfortable seats, limited bathrooms, not able to go get food because you have to stay where you are.

MrMusician18

Another thing which you don't hear mentioned in this is that infants under 1 year are at risk of a bad dose of covid. And of course they aren't vaccinated.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701896#Comment_117701896

Its a worldwide problem. Why would ireland be any different?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26433506/

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.16.20212480v2.full

Forcing women to give birth alone will lead to poorer outcomes

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702312#Comment_117702312

In that link, there is reference to mistreatment of pregnant women in Africa. Western Europe is more progressive.

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701896#Comment_117701896

Quite simply because it makes their job easier.

Xcellor

When my wife had an emergency c- section with our first after a really traumatic labour she was wrecked and literally could not look after herself or a newborn. If I wasn't there both my child and my wife would have suffered. Apart from emotional support the practical support is massive. New mothers are just left, barely able to walk but somehow expected to nurse a baby , change nappies and lift a new born...

Expecting our second early next year. I can only hope this nonsense is resolved by then.

For those who have suffered and will suffer due to this you have my deepest sympathy. It's truly appalling.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117701830#Comment_117701830

If HCW's were so lazy as to force the easy option on women you'd expect the mortality rate for mother's to be above zero (as it was in 2019)?

Lillyfae

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702490#Comment_117702490

Mortality rate should be the only measurement in maternity care?

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702524#Comment_117702524

One would think that if it's that **** that it would be reflected in elevated mortality rates relative to other western countries.

King Power Fox

Minister should be able to persuade the individual hospitals to change their policies. Surprised Minister Donnelly had not taken the populist stance and asked them to change yet.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702568#Comment_117702568

The hospitals are quite independent and would likely require a change in the law to give him the power to amend internal operational policy. The best he can do is ask nicely.

ceadaoin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702372#Comment_117702372

The second link is about Switzerland but ok.

Here is a piece specifically about Ireland. It's very helpful for women in labour, not only to have the support but to have someone to advocate for them

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/forcing-women-to-give-birth-within-a-specified-timeframe-is-abuse-1.3282848

Mrs OBumble

If the situations described here are true, then this is an appalling indictment of the nursing staff, who are totally failing to do their jobs.

You'd really have to question how Irish trained midwives are allowed to practice in other countries.

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117703071#Comment_117703071

Sure, write off all 10,000 midwives in Ireland because of a couple of bad experiences. That's totally reasonable.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117703071#Comment_117703071

You obviously havent given birth yourself in the last 10 years! I can tell you the stories are 100% true unfortunately.

There also is nothing wrong with Irish midwives - its not their fault - its the HSE where the problem lies - staffing levels etc. Maybe a solution could be is to have more carer type people working in hospitals to help out the nurses and midwives with helping to care for new babies. Its ridiculous that women are expected to care for their babies straight away after a section or difficult birth ( often weak and drowsy with painkillers ) with no help from staff.

celt262

What is the status at the moment are husbands/partners allowed in during hospital visiting hours?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117692125#Comment_117692125

My wife has a very slow early labour but spikes to 10cm and delivery within minutes.

Medics were caught unawares during 1st birth, delayed epidural, causing her to be overly numb at delivery, which caused large issues during the birth with her not able to time pushes or communicate how she felt.

Warned midwives for next about it, was dismissed, saw it start to play out same way, went back to midwives and became insistent. To shut me up they came in and insoected her, immediately started walking her to delivery suite, had to put her on trolley half way up, entered delivery suite and baby born within minutes.

Hmmm, wonder what would have happened this year...?

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686047#Comment_117686047

yes, and many people died in the famine too. whilst both statements are obnoxiously obvious, neither are favourable. as ignorant as your first statement is, your concluding paragraph is also just terrible. PS. i dont agree that the staffing levels are too low. my experiences x2 have been that there are ample midwives, however, they are too busy sitting around eating biscuits to help, and have the graduates support. for one of my visits, 2 mws were seated infront of the telly watching the galway v clare hurling game 3 years ago, which went to extra time.

Squatman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117692125#Comment_117692125

yea, i think this is particularly true in the case of small children. who would know better about the childs personality and form (knowing what's normal or not normal) than these magical nurses that have never met the child before. you are looking at this from a very blinkered perspective

Billgirlylegs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117704533#Comment_117704533

Worthy of quoting your reasoned reply to a completely ignorant post. There are a few others of similar opinions. Comments about people "wandering" about are also crass and ignorant.

The general HSE/Department of Health/NPHET handling of the Covid issue is an unending sequence of illogical incompetence. These are maternity hospitals, outcome scenario intended to be a bit different to standard hospital.

"They" set them up so they really need to have adapted to the new circumstances by now and be able to welcome both parents or mother and "friend" as applies. There are ways and means of arranging for people to accompany prospective mothers safely, and if "medical professionals" haven't figured it out you wonder at their capacity for actually being able to carry out their job properly.

There is no reason for this rubbish and it really is typical of the whole health industry incompetence.

political analyst

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117702829#Comment_117702829

It's possible that there are sound medical reasons for inducing births in Ireland. Maybe the obstetricians are concerned about the likelihood of overcrowding in maternity wards.