Box Hill Hospital and Angliss Hospital maternity wards during coronavirus restrictions
Giving birth is a stressful time, let alone during a pandemic — and there’s plenty of speculation on whether your partner is allowed in the birthing suite. Here’s what you’re allowed to do according to Victoria’s chief health officer.
East
Don't miss out on the headlines from East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
UPDATE: Partners of pregnant women can stay as long as is needed during labour and birth according to Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton.
Prof Sutton clarified restriction rules around Melbourne maternity wards after “some confusion” on whether fathers and partners would be allowed to stay at the hospital with mother and baby.
Distress from expectant parents came after Labor state Health MP Jenny Mikakos announced a pregnant mother was only allowed to have her partner or a support person with her while giving birth and for two hours after the baby arrives, in a press conference on July 23.
But Prof Sutton confirmed this was not the case and partners could stay as long as required.
“In relation to visits to pregnant women and during the labour and birthing process, I think there has been some confusion,” Prof Sutton said.
“The directions state a support person or partner can stay as long as is desired and needed for the labour and birth process,”
“That is not limited at all.”
Prof Suttons said if a support person or partner wants to stay continuously through there was no limit in the time that person could stay.
“If someone needs to stay and wants to stay, right through the delivery process following labour they are free to do so and there are no limits in that regards,” he said.
He said for those days post-delivery there is a visit of one person and for two hours, which he said was a reduction from two people for two hours.
“For anti-natal visits there’s been no change.
“So that support person or partner can accompany a pregnant woman for anti-natal visits.
“There are the same restrictions as applied previously not to attend tests such as ultra sounds.”
He said he understood the distress confusion had caused.
“Someone who feels they can’t be there for the most critical time in their partners life and indeed in their life must be a distressing element,” Prof Sutton said.
An Eastern Health spokeswoman said partners were allowed to stay with the patient in the hospital after birth if they did not leave the hospital at any time — if they did they must adhere to the visitor times.
“Having a baby is both an exciting and nervous time for expectant parents,” she said.
“At this time, when an expectant mother comes to give birth, she can bring along one support person, who can stay with her in the birthing suite and provide support during her birthing experience.”
She said once the baby was born, and mum moved to the post-natal ward, if a partner does not leave the ward at all, they are permitted to stay overnight with the mother and baby. “Alternatively, her partner or support person can visit between 8am-8pm,” she said.
“Like all health networks, Eastern Health works within the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, and given the evolving nature of COVID-19, visiting hours are under constant — maybe continuous — review.”
Should there be a change, we endeavour to notify our expectant mother’s ahead of the birth of their child, as well as update our website accordingly, she said.
Leader reported during the first lockdown period this year both Box Hill and the Angliss experienced a pandemic baby boom with more than 50 babies born within 72 hours on June 1.
Doctors and midwives were busy caring for mums giving birth at both the maternity wards with one being born almost every hour and a half.
MORE: FIND OUT WHERE ACTIVE VIRUS INFECTIONS HAVE RISEN
WHY SHOPPING CENTRES QUIET ON SOCIAL MEDIA VIRUS ALERTS