Maternity restrictions causing 'unnecessary hurt and mental health issues'
New and expecting parents are calling for changes to Northern Ireland's maternity restrictions.
Currently, dads or birthing partners are only allowed to attend 12 and 20 week scans and active labour.
They are allowed one hour after the child is born and then one hour that evening, but no more visits until the mother and child are released.
Campaign Group "Mothers Matter" is calling on the Health Minister to change the rules, and see them as a unit.
They said " We need to really take a step back and look at what is happening in maternity services. An antenatal appointment is not just going for a blood test, it's not just about a woman's health - any appointment could bring about devastating news, and for some with a history of loss or complications even just attending creates anxiety.
We know staff are concerned about the risks of infection by bringing in additional people to antenatal clinics. A big question is does Personal Protective Equipment work? Is PPE overwhelmed by an additional person in a clinic room? We know the 2m distancing rules are being strictly applied to hospitals on the guidance from the Dept. of Health but are they appropriate for maternity services?"
Downtown and Cool FM spoke to a number of new parents about the restrictions and how they impacted their journey.
Mothers Matter is calling on MLAs to join in a live online discussion on Friday, October 23 at 1pm about the important issues facing maternity services during the pandemic.
The campaign was started by Claire Hackett, Emma Fraser and Leslie Altic, all birth workers who support women and their partners through pregnancy and birth.
“The current rules force women to attend some appointments on their own and also mean that the birth partner can only come into the delivery suite once the woman is in labour. This is causing additional anxiety during an already stressful time,” Claire Hackett said.
They are holding a series of online action days in a bid to change current restrictions, which have forced many mums to go through parts of the birthing process alone.
“For months we have watched the way parents were being treated in the name of Covid-19 prevention and it’s simply heart breaking. We felt we had to speak out, we couldn’t sit by and let this continue to happen when there."