Is the States really offering women the best birth experience it can?

THANK you for publishing my letter in your paper on Saturday 6 February 2021 entitled, Birth partners need to be part of this truly important experience. I was interested then to notice an article appearing on the States of Guernsey website the following day, Sunday 7 February 2021, entitled, ‘First-time mum that [sic] underwent C-section during current lockdown is aiming to reassure expectant parents’. Head of maternity and paediatrics Annabel Nicholas is quoted as saying, ‘We are so passionate about women and families having the best experience they can, whatever the circumstances’. This, after a new mum is quoted as saying, ‘Any emergency and any unplanned C-section is scary, but it was even more so because of Covid. At 12am when I was being wheeled down both [my husband] and I were crying…’. Is this really an example of the States of Guernsey offering women and families the best birth experience they can, whatever the circumstances? I’m both disappointed with, and ashamed at, the States of Guernsey for their decision to once again overlook the mental, emotional and spiritual needs of birthing women, let alone their birthing partners. We’re told repeatedly that the decision has been made for safety reasons and yet given that we now have thorough and rigorous testing facilities in place, it seems crazy that this cannot be extended to birthing partners to enable them to support expectant mums at a crucial and life changing time. Surely if expectant mum and birthing partner self-isolate prior to the birth and are tested frequently, there should be no reason why the partner, in full PPE, should be any greater risk than one of the theatre staff.