Irish Birth Movement Calls For National Alignment On Maternity Restrictions
The Irish Birth Movement is calling for national alignment on maternity restrictions in the wake of the National Maternity Hospital lifting almost all restrictions but University Maternity Hospital Limerick lifting very few.
Commenting today, Yvonne Aherne, spokesperson for the Irish Birth Movement, said: “
The postcode lottery needs to stop.
The National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street is an old building with old infrastructure, yet they have lifted almost all restrictions.
Local transmission is higher in Galway than in Limerick, yet the restrictions in Limerick are far more stringent.
Hospitals cannot hide behind excuses when rates of postnatal depression have risen, as a direct result of these restrictions, to almost one in every two women in Ireland.”
Yvonne Aherne stressed:
“The announcement from the National Maternity Hospital filled so many women in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary with hope that University Maternity Hospital Limerick would follow.
However, their response, in only allowing partner access to the 12 week scan and elective c-sections, is nothing short of a slap in face to the women anxiously waiting to give birth in the weeks and days ahead.
Since transfer to the labour ward only occurs late in labour, these women will still be expected to spend early labour alone.”
The Irish Birth Movement have said they will continue to protest and fight these restrictions and will be doubling their efforts to highlight non-compliant hospitals in the weeks ahead.
