Some positive news for new mothers as new guidelines for pregnant women have been announced by public health officials in a recently published document.
Before the news, expecting women were expected to attend midwife and scan appointments alone, which can be incredibly daunting and scary for some individuals. Now, women can be accompanied by someone at all times from early pregnancy all the way to postnatal care, as long as their “birthing partner” does not show any symptoms of covid-19.
In the new document published on Monday, it states “Pregnant women value the support from a partner, relative, friend or other person through pregnancy and childbirth as it facilitates emotional wellbeing and is a key component of safe and personalised maternity care.
“It is therefore our aim, further to a risk assessment, that a woman should have access to support from a person of her choosing at all stages of her maternity journey and that all trusts should facilitate this as quickly as possible.
“At the same time it is our priority to prevent and control COVID-19 infection and keep women and staff safe.”
Pregnant women and their partners must be tested before their scans and any other maternity related engagements.
Read the full published document here on the NHS website.
