Call to action regarding new restrictions on birthing women.
UPDATE: October 2020
Some hospitals and maternity units are still restricting the number of birth partners, with ‘requests’ for additional support being required in advance. This means that women are being faced with the difficult decision of whether to have their partner or another birth partner such as a close family member, friend or doula supporting their birth. With reference to Article 8 of the European Declaration of Human Rights, this is a violation of a woman’s right to give birth where and with whom she chooses. We believe that a refusal to admit partners or other supporters is a failure by Trusts to meet the needs of maternity service users, and can potentially have a harmful effect on the mental and emotional well being of pregnant women and their partners.
The SDN continues to communicate with Care Trusts and Midwifery services across Scotland to obtain up to date info about maternity services, both in hospital and birth centre settings, as well as home births. Please contact us directly, or speak to your SDN doula, with any concerns you may have about being able to benefit from doula support in hospital, or a birth centre, during this time.
The Scottish Doula Network also supports the Birthrights campaign #ButNotMaternity:
“Birthrights is keen to hear from individuals who would be interested in legally challenging visitor restrictions in maternity services at their local Trust.
You could be in the early stages of pregnancy and concerned about the fact that your partner will not be with you during scans or at other crucial points during your maternity care. You could also be a partner who is keen to be at their loved one’s side. Or you could already have been affected by the restrictions, for example, having received bad news on your own, having asked for your partner to be there.
You are unlikely to receive financial compensation, but we will ensure your legal costs are covered.
To find out more with no commitment please contact us at [email protected]“
You can also sign the PETITION ” Partners allowed for entirety of labour/birth in ALL hospitals”, here.
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March 2020:
Various trusts in Scotland have limited the number of birth partners in hospitals/birth centres to one, meaning that women are being faced with the difficult decision of whether to have their partner or their doula supporting their birth, or visiting them postnatally in hospitals/birth centres. In the last week, women in the Central Belt of Scotland have seen their wish to birth at home taken from them, including those who planned birth outside of hospital to reduce their risk of exposure to infection.
We in the Scottish Doula Network feel that these restrictions cause additional stress for the birthing family, who chose a doula to reduce it. We have concerns that the removal of these rights will be hard to reverse, and that the reduction in exposure that they are attempting to limit with these measures, is disproportionately affecting birthing families. In other wards, patients are restricted to two visitors, not one and the NHS is also currently looking for ward volunteers to cover shortages, all the while limiting the support women chose to have. Some trusts have reversed the new measures following ardent feedback from families.
How do you feel about these policy changes and the choice women are faced with – of bringing either their partner OR doula with them to the hospital, and of being forced into hospital to birth? Our concern is that many women will opt to freebirth instead of going in to hospital.
Would you consider writing a letter to the Chief Exec of NHS Lothian (or your own trust) to help them to reconsider this, and to support those whose birth is approaching? We have made the following list of questions/prompts to help you to write your letter. Please make it in your own words, it’s the personal letters that make the most impact. Don’t feel you have to use all of the questions – perhaps choose three or four? Our hope is that a large number of letters with a personal touch will help them to reconsider the importance of doulas and the option to birth at home throughout these times of reduced staff and increased stress.
– Did you have a doula to support your pregnancy/birth/postnatal period, or do you plan to?- Why did you/will you seek the support of a doula?- What are you more concerned about – increased exposure through having your doula with you or not having her support you?- If you were planning a homebirth and subsequently told this was no longer an option, how would you feel? Would this change your birth plans?- How did your doula help you and your partner/family? Can you give specific examples?- How would your birth have been if your doula had been taken out of it?- What did it mean for your partner to have your doula at your birth? How did it feel?- How important has planning to birth at home been in your pregnancy?- In a time of heightened fears (being in labour plus the risk of CV), what difference might having your doula make to you?- How would you/do you feel about birthing in hospital if that is not what you planned?- How will/would it feel to have your doula with you in labour but unable to come to the hospital/birth centre with you?
You might also like to use one of the template letters from Birthrights.
If you would prefer to send us a testimonial about what a difference your doula made to you, or would like to do this in addition to writing to your heads of service, please do. Let us know if you’re happy for us to share it publicly, and include it in our letter. We will be writing to them as the Scottish Doula Network, and intend to also point out that the RCOG and RCM recently state that women’s birth plans should still be respected and followed:
” Trusts that restrict a woman’s right to choose who will be present at her birth, for example by restricting birth partners to one, will need to be very clear that this response is proportionate to the additional threat of infection. The case of birth partners should be looked at separately to other visitors, given their supporting role. If the Trust feels confident its response is proportionate, it should look at exceptions on a case by case basis, as a blanket policy could be open to challenge.”
We appreciate any help you feel able to give, as we strive to protect women’s birthing rights.
Sending you love and gentleness at this time (and always),Doulas of the Scottish Doula Network
Sources:
https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/
https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/2020-03-21-covid19-pregnancy-guidance-2118.pdf
See also:
https://www.birthrights.org.uk/covid-19/
https://www.birthrights.org.uk/2020/03/12/coronovirus-how-will-it-affect-my-rights-to-maternity-care/
