UHDB Maternity Services during Covid-19
We understand that during this latest wave of covid, there have been a large number of concerns from pregnant women and their partners about how this may impact on the maternity services offered at UHDB. We want to reassure our communities that we have no plans in place to reduce the level of visiting we are able to offer within our maternity services.
We continue to ask pregnant women and their partners to be vigilant following Hands Face Space guidance by regularly washing and sanitising your hands, including on entry to the ward/department, wearing a face mask at all times (unless in labour) and staying 2m apart from others. This helps to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and keeps yourself, other pregnant women and UHDB staff safe.
We are currently able to support partners/visiting in the following ways:
- To attend 12 and 20 week scans (dating and anomaly scans)
- Throughout active labour
- For planned caesarean sections
- Following an uncomplicated birth, we aim to discharge mum and baby within six hours, during this time the birth partner can stay with mum and baby whilst on labour ward.
- If a postnatal stay is required, after being transferred to the postnatal ward, partners can spend up to two hours with mum and baby.
- Visiting on the Maternity wards (antenatal or postnatal) is for two hours a day during a designated visiting slot aimed at ensuring social distancing and minimising the number of visitors at any one time.
- Both parents are able to visit the neonatal unit.
Birth partners who are symptomatic or self-isolating should remain at home and not attend the hospital.
Our latest maternity guidance can be found on the UHDB website >
Please remember, your baby’s movements matter. If you notice a change or a reduction in your baby’s movements, please call the hospital you are due to give birth at immediately. Let us know if you are showing symptoms of Covid-19 or are self-isolating and we can arrange to see you in an isolation area to check you and your baby are healthy.
We understand how worrying being pregnant during a pandemic can be for women and their partners, but our maternity teams are working hard to make this as friendly and stress free as possible and are wearing smiles behind their masks.
If you have any concerns, please do speak to your midwife at your next appointment.