The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has specified what new maternity restrictions at the hospital will entail.

Starting from next Monday (October 5), visiting restrictions at the trust will allow birthing partners to be more present during the birthing process, after restrictions were imposed since the coronavirus lockdown.

With these changes, birthing partners can now attend the dating scan and can be present after confirmation of the start of the birthing process, not just when active labour begins.

Previously, the trust only allowed one named birth partner for a limited time during the entire birthing process, due to coronavirus safety concerns.

For the duration of labour, one named birth partner was allowed, but after birth no visitors were allowed on the postnatal ward.

No visitors were allowed at the antenatal ward, or during the triage, maternity day assessment unit, antenatal clinic, and ultrasound scan.

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Since announcing the new guidance, the trust says they received “lots of calls” about the changes, and a result compiled a FAQ page to help expecting mothers.

The trust reiterated that restrictions will continue to be under review, and could be eased further or tightened again depending on the risks to the women in their care and their staff.

Here are the answers to common questions the trust was asked.

Can I have someone with me at scans other than the dating / combined screening scan?

The new guidance only allows one person at only the dating or combined screening scan, but they cannot attend any other routine scanning appointment.

The trust wrote: “Due to concerns about the ability to social distance we have to limit this to the dating/combined screening scan only.

“We are unable to accommodate children so please arrange for childcare in advance. We have already made changes to maintain social distancing and if we made more changes now to allow you to have a partner with you at other scans, we would have to reschedule and this would mean that we were not seeing you at the best time for you and your baby.

“We cannot move appointments that have been arranged for clinical reasons to take place at set times in your pregnancy.”

What if there are complications during the scan?

If this is the case, then someone waiting near or who can attend the site quickly would be allowed to join the room.

Will these rules be flexible for births before October 5?

Despite the new rules being enforced next week, the trust said that mothers with appointments before Monday will still have to come to appointments on their own.

Can a partner be there from the start of an induction?

If a mother is induced, partners will not be allowed to attend as inductions take place in a shared area which would make it difficult to maintain a safe environment.

The trust said: “As soon as you are transferred into a single room on the consultant-led unit or midwifery-led unit to have your care continued, your birth partner can attend.”

Can the birth partner stay after birth?

Birth partners will normally have a limited few hours to stick around after the birth, until the mother is moved to the postnatal ward.

The trust says at the moment, it is not possible to maintain safe social distancing in ward areas.

But the trust assures parents “you are not alone” and that staff will be attending to any needs the mother or the baby requires.

Can the birthing partner be swapped?

The birthing partner selected must be the same person throughout the scan or birth.

Why do some hospitals have different rules?

Since each hospital has different sizes and layouts for their maternity facilities, some hospitals can afford to more flexible with their rules during the pandemic.

The trust says: “We are continually looking at how we can make changes to relax the rules, but your safety comes first. Covid-19 can be transmitted by people who show no symptoms and this means we must remain cautious and do all we can to keep you safe. We are sorry that the current restrictions may cause you distress. We hope you understand that your safety is always our top priority.”