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I just spent a week in a London hospital on a postnatal ward. Like all mothers, I had been given plenty of notice that due to CV19 I would be alone on the ward, with no husband allowed and no visitors.
I had been worried about this, and of course sad that my husband wouldn’t be able to spend time with 
. This was when I thought I’d be in for one night, not five. Hey ho.
. This was when I thought I’d be in for one night, not five. Hey ho.
I had been concerned more generally about impact of isolation on #maternalmentalhealth, for instance for injured women and anxious first time mothers
In the event, I was surprised to find myself thinking if post CV19 we might look again at how much time partners spend on the wards, and how much their presence affects the space.
Staff were more stretched by having to do basic tasks eg nappy changes, so of course all this with the caveat that NHS maternity services need more funding. This is not a complaint about my exemplary care.
But at the same time, some staff told me it was a relief that they weren’t having to spend time eg turfing MEN OUT OF THE BEDS because they were tired (lol), or managing a constant flow of family and friends.
A postnatal ward is also a place where women are vulnerable, and where their ability to relax and feel comfortable is important. There is a lot of time spent in pain, undressed, and feeling, let us say, far from oneself.
I definitely benefitted from knowing that I could recover from birth and get BF going without husbands adding to the coming and going in the room. Others said the same.
Sharing a ward with three women and three babies was ofc Not Restful, but the addition of four husbands would have made it even less so. Not least given the stress newborns and sleep deprivation put on relationships.
Yes, it was completely horrible having to hold newborn up to a window so his dad could see him. But perhaps down the line in more normal circs the NHS could look at shorter visiting hours and how women feel about sharing the postnatal space.
This has long been a tricky subject and I am not saying we should ban all husbands, just that I wonder whether post-pandemic we might learn something from this time about how to do postnatal wards differently.
Pic of baby after reading this whole thread
