Mothers ask why partners are excluded from maternity wards
Dr Krysia Lynch, the chairperson of AIMS Ireland, asked during the forum if anyone could explain the benefit of making pregnant women attend hospital alone.
Evidence is still lacking to show why banning partners from maternity hospitals during the pandemic is beneficial, a forum held by the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS Ireland) has heard.
Research presented during the open forum showed at least 40% of breastfeeding women could not access support groups during the lockdowns.
Dr Krysia Lynch, chair of AIMS Ireland, which was formed in early 2007 by women, following their own experiences in the Irish maternity system, said: “There is no evidence ever provided for these restrictions. How many lives have been saved by having — during a whole year — women come into maternity hospitals alone?”
At various points during the pandemic, partners were barred from attending scans, inductions, and even births at some hospitals, with different restrictions applied by individual hospitals.
Dr Lynch questioned how some hospitals allow a partner to attend a two-hour anomaly scan, but will not allow them attend an induction.
She also said the social and mental health aspects of birth are ignored.
Jane Xavier, who works with a number of migrant rights groups including the Domestic Workers Action Group, said the restrictions are particularly onerous for immigrant women.
She said it is harder to ask questions and harder to be heard, and when you are alone without support it is even tougher. Language limitations for some women added to the burden.
A study carried out by researchers at Technological University Dublin found women struggle to get access to supports for breastfeeding. One of its researchers, Dr Elizabeth O’Sullivan said over 80% of participants in the study breastfed or fed breastmilk. However, 40% said they could not access breastfeeding support groups, and 27% could not access one-to-one assistance.
And the survey showed women whose babies needed care through neonatal intensive care units (NICU) had even less access to breastfeeding support groups at 64%.
A woman attending yesterday's forum, who did not wish to be identified, described her NICU experience at a Dublin hospital.
“My baby was in for six days," she said. "I was allowed visit for two hours a day only, even though in a private room. I felt like Cinderella. As the hour would chime I had to leave. My breastfeeding journey was severely impacted.”
One respondent said public health nurses and lactation consultants in her area were redeployed to Covid care. Others noted how “overworked” hospital midwives were.
And 60% of the women were worried about formula shortages, which Dr O’Sullivan said was exacerbated by images of stockpiling seen everywhere last March.
Amélie Nyhan, a postpartum doula, told the forum the lack of visiting is having a negative impact on women’s partners also, and possibly impeding bonding with newborn babies while another midwife said: “I hear partners feeling less connected and more alienated from their baby as during the pregnancy they are mostly excluded.”
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