Protests take place outside CUMH

A Cork woman has spoken out to RedFM News about how her partner never got to hear his child's heartbeat due to the ongoing restrictions in maternity hospitals since the COVID19 outbreak.

 Susan O'Riordan was one of the protesters at today's demonstration outside the CUMH, where an end has been called for to the ongoing restrictions that exclude partners from scans and appointments.

Susan suffered two miscarriages in the last nine months, and she said she had no one to hold her hand, support her, or comfort her in one of the most stressful moments of her life. 

She says there was on opportunity to hear her baby's heartbeat and that was taken away from her huband. She told RedFM News that partners should not be viewed as visitors.

"The first one was a molar pregnancy, so I had to go through a D&C without my husband there, I had to go for a weekly blood test to make sure that it didn't turn into cancer, which thankfully it didn't. Again, I had to go through all that alone.

"Then we got pregnant again two months ago. I went for a scan, again alone. Luckily I heard the heartbeat then and it was great, but two weeks later I went back and there was no heartbeat.

"I spent a week in hospital with complications after the miscarriage, I had to have another D&C for that.

"The stress of having to go through everything alone was just emotional, and it's just terrible."

Meanwhile the Health Minister has asked maternity hospitals and units to show why they're not allowing partners into scans.

Hospitals are now being contacted to make sure they're letting loved ones into the 20-week scan at a minimum.

There's growing frustration and upset among many pregnant women who are being forced to go through scans and the early stages of labour on their own.

Stephen Donnelly says he’s frustrated with the lack of progress.

"All 19 maternity units are being contacted right now, and they're being told very clearly what the guidance is from the Clinical Medical Officer which is that at a minimum there is access to the 20 week scan for birth and neonatal.

"And for any maternity unit that does not believe that is appropriate or safe at the moment must provide a case back, that information is being compiled as we speak."