Rally hears of loneliness and isolation caused by maternity restrictions

Members of Uplift in Cork who delivered a petition signed by 52,250 people to Cork University Maternity Hospital calling for partners to be allowed to attend all scans, appointments, all stages of labour and postnatal visits. Included are Siobhán O'Donoghue, director, Uplift; Linda Kelly, Holly de Burgh, Julie Coakley and Councillor John Maher who is also supporting the petition. Picture: Denis Minihane.

An online rally against the restrictions in the Irish maternity services heard how women felt lonely, isolated and traumatised by their partner not being allowed to attend pregnancy scans and early labour.

Women also spoke about being alone on a wards after having a c-section, with no partner there to support them. 

A petition opposing the restrictions, which has over 52,000 signatures, was handed into CUMH this morning. 

The rally was organised through Uplift, who also conducted a survey of 709 women who were pregnant or gave birth during the pandemic. 

Some women spoke about how their partners missed the birth as their labour progressed quickly, other talked about the lack of antenatal and perinatal support. Others spoke about how the restrictions negatively impacted their mental health. 

Miscarriage was another topic discussed, and 86% of people who took part in the survey strongly agreed that people should have partners with them when bad news is anticipated.

One survey respondent called Mary, who had a miscarriage, said: "I was referred to the early pregnancy unit. I was told to go back a week later to confirm a miscarriage. Again on my own. This was the most heart breaking thing we have been through and I had to deal with this on my own.

"My partner felt very excluded by all of this and it’s affected us both a lot but in different ways. I had no support and was scared and felt like I couldn’t take in what had happened. This puts pressure on the most secure relationships."

Siobhán O'Donoghue, director, Uplift, (centre) who delivered a petition signed by 52,250 people to a representative of Cork University Maternity Hospital calling for partners to be allowed to attend all scans, appointments, all stages of labour and postnatal visits. Also in picture is Linda Kelly.

Political figures such as TDs Mary Lou McDonald, Alan Kelly, Holly Cairns, Senator Eileen Flynn and Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu also attended the online rally.

Women who had gone through a birth or pregnancy during the pandemic also spoke, including Caroline Cummings from Ballydehob, who started the petition in September. 

"By then, six months had passed, there had been no review. There is a real sense that nobody is acknowledging the real stress and anxiety these restrictions are causing women."

She is currently pregnant and has gone to all her appointments alone and will probably have to go through early labour alone, and will have no visitors after the birth.

As a healthcare worker herself, she believes that there must be a way to facilitate a partner accompanying women for scans, being there for the duration of labour and for visits afterwards.

West Cork TD Holly Cairns says many restrictions across Irish society were reviewed and eased, but this has not happened in maternity wards.

She added that many of the eased restrictions had a strong lobby group behind them, and many pregnant people and new mothers don't have the time to lobby.

Ms Cairns said she raised the issue with the Taoiseach who told her there should be a national approach, the health minister told her it should be done on an individual basis, and the heads of the Cork/Kerry regional HSE group said decisions should be made regionally. "There is no strategic plan."

"There are no women at the decision-making table in relation to Covid. It has had an impact."

She added that rapid testing could be implemented in maternity hospitals to alleviate the risks.

Senator Eileen Flynn added that women from minority backgrounds can already be marginalised from the health services, and Covid has compounded this.

She added that something needed to be done to give more support to women, as pregnancy and birth can be difficult during normal times.

Linda Kelly, Glanmire, and her daughter Amy-Kate and Siobhán O'Donoghue, director, Uplift, who were present when a petition signed by 52,250 people was delivered by members of Uplift in Cork to Cork University Maternity Hospital calling for partners to be allowed to attend all scans, appointments, all stages of labour and postnatal visits.

Linda Kelly from Glanmire, another organiser of the protest, gave birth during the pandemic and wrote about her experience for the Irish Examiner.

"I felt so lonely and isolated. Predominantly men have made these decisions. They expect us to just accept their assurances that they are doing this for our safety, while never listening to our voices. 

"I am sick of it. They are hoping we will go away."

Chair of the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services Ireland, Krysia Lynch, says to date, the HSE has published no risk assessment to qualify the restrictions, and added that the restrictions differ across maternity units in Ireland.

Ms Lynch said that the World Health Organisation has produced evidence, which says a woman or birthing person must have a partner present for her physical and mental well-being.

"There is no evidence for excluding a partner for early labour, when you are including them in late labour.

"There is no evidence for excluding a partner from a scan when you are including a partner in a post-natal visit.

"Show us the evidence, show us the research, and let's bring back families into our maternity care services."

In a statement yesterday, the HSE said: "The obstetric clinical leads of each hospital group are committed to ensuring that the impact of Covid-19 on the pregnancy experience of every mother and father should be kept to an absolute minimum.

The HSE said partners could still be present but an individual unit may be left with "no alternative" to restrict this also.

"Such circumstances might include a high rate of illness in staff resulting in difficulty in maintaining rosters, a temporary shortage of PPE, and/or a high level of hospital activity.

"If a decision to restrict partners' presence is made, this decision is taken at hospital level, by hospital management."

The HSE added that the midwifery and obstetrical community are mindful of the support provided by partners and wish to facilitate this.

"We are also aware of the challenges presented to each of the 19 maternity units, in the country, in maintaining staffing and, with high rates of staff illness, this may become increasingly difficult.

The HSE said it acknowledged the anxieties and frustrations these restrictions have caused for women and their partners, "at what should be the happiest time in their lives.".

"However, hospitals must prioritise the safety of all our patients and staff, and do everything we can to ensure hospitals are protected from the ever-present threat of Covid-19."