Maternity advocates have called for clarity around rules for Covid-positive expectant mothers claiming some are opting for home births rather than risk not having their partner present during labour.
The Maternity Consumer Network (MCN) said that during the pandemic, there had been an influx of women electing to give birth at home.
MCN director Alecia Staines told 4BC’s Neil Breen that there was “inconsistency” around the way that women were being treated by Queensland hospitals.
“A lot of women aren’t finding out until they’re entering hospital in labour,” Ms Staines told 4BC.
“A woman the other day, she actually tested negative but they didn’t bring the RAT test back in time.
“That partner had been kicked out. She had to birth alone, terrified. And then got the RAT test back and it was negative anyway.”
xjmtzywAccording to advice posted on the Queensland Health website, a Covid positive diagnosis will result in a reduction in the number of support personnel allowed to be present with a woman during birth.
But, it said, it was recommended that a woman have one person stay during labour.
Queensland Health also told The Courier Mail that it was not aware of any instances of Covid-positive women having to give birth without a support person, noting that in some cases a partner may require an exemption to be present.
But Ms Staines said that many women were electing to homebirth, with the support of midwives, than risk not having their partners present in hospital.
She said that homebirth rates had escalated dramatically during Covid.
“I guess in a woman’s mind, she thinks it’s more dangerous birthing alone in the system, than birthing alone with her partner (at home),” she said.
“It’s one of those situations, neither is ideal.
“This is not a health system that is supporting women at all. It’s human rights abuses, is what it is, denying them any birth support.”
