Our advice to all of our pregnant women

Posted Thursday, 19 March 2020 by Christian Wilson

As you will be aware the situation regarding advice for pregnant women in relation to Coronavirus (COVID-19) is rapidly changing and we would like to offer some practical advice to all women booked with Maternity Services at University Hospitals Derby and Burton (UHDB).

On 16 March 2020, Public Health England amended advice in Guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults, to include pregnant women as part of the at risk groups.

We understand this must be an unsettling time for pregnant women, but we would like to emphasise that attending antenatal and postnatal care when you are pregnant and have a new baby is essential to ensuring the wellbeing of pregnant women and their babies.

The Maternity Services at UHDB will continue to provide routine antenatal and postnatal care in both community and hospital settings. We would like to advise any pregnant women, who have a scheduled antenatal appointment with either a community Midwife, or a planned hospital appointment to attend where possible.

Routine Community based antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and babies:

Your midwife will contact you before your planned appointment to ask some screening questions about your current health. If you are well, we will advise you to attend as planned. The location and venue for your appointment may change and you will be informed of this during your telephone call.
We would advise you to use your own private transport to attend and where possible attend alone, or have a maximum of one person with you. It would be helpful if your partner could remain outside the clinic area, in your transport if possible. Please do not bring children to your appointment.
If you have any symptoms of Coronavirus (recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature) OR you are self-isolating, we will review the need for your appointment and it may be delayed until after the period of self -isolation ends. If you need to be seen we will advise you where to attend.
If you have concerns about the pregnancy during your self-isolation period, contact the maternity triage unit at the hospital you are booked to attend for your birth. They will provide further advice, including whether you need to attend hospital.
If you have a general concern regarding Coronavirus please access NHS 111 online for advice.

Planned hospital appointments, ultrasound scans, fetal medicine appointments:

If you are well you should attend your appointment as planned.
If you have any symptoms or are self–isolating, please contact the department in advance for advice.
We would advise you to use your own private transport to attend and where possible attend alone, or have a maximum of one person with you. It would be helpful if your partner could remain outside the clinic area, in your transport if possible. Please do not bring children to your appointment, they will not be allowed in.
On arrival to the antenatal clinic, please use the hand sanitizer provided.
You will be contacted prior to your appointment or met on arrival to the department and asked about your current health. If you are displaying any symptoms you will be advised to return home. Your care will be reviewed by your obstetric team and your appointment will be re-arranged.
To enable adequate social distancing, please try to sit two meters (three steps away) from the other women in the waiting room. We have arranged seating to try to accommodate this.

Suspension of the Homebirth Services Derby and Burton:

We apologise that the home birth services for Derby and Burton are suspended until further notice.
All women currently planned for a homebirth have been contacted and made aware. We advise all women to contact the unit where they are now booked to birth with at the onset of labour.

Birth partners and visiting:

Our visiting policy at our hospitals has recently changed. We now advise that only one birth partner will be allowed to attend the unit.
We politely ask the birth partner to use recommended hand hygiene precautions whilst attending the unit.
Birth partners who are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 should be treated as possibly infected and asked to wear a mask and wash their hands frequently. If they are showing symptoms, birth partners should remain in isolation and not attend the unit.
We are not advocating the use of birthing pools at this current time for women with suspected or confirmed Coronavirus.
Doulas will not be allowed unless they are the only birth supporter.
Women are encouraged to breast feed if this is their choice and if well, mother and baby will be kept together at all times.

Contact details:

See our Maternity Wards contact details here.

See our Birth centre contact details here.

See our Labour ward contact details here.

View our Maternity pages on our website here.