Coronavirus COVID 19 -

Advice for mothers availing of the homebirth services during covid 19 restrictions:

Since the advent of the Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a surge in demand for home births up and down the country. Because of this, the Community Midwives Association (of which I am a member) has drafted a letter advising mothers on how we are responding in these unprecedented times in order to continue this service and maintain our high standards of care and safety.

For your information, I have copied the letter for you below. If you have any questions about the service, please feel free to contact me and I can discuss it with you. You can be assured that we are doing everything in our power to provide this important service to you by taking every precaution necessary to keep you and your baby safe.

Carolyn Coughlan

dublinhomebirth@gmail.com

086 358 3245

Please find the letter here below:

The Community Midwives Association (CMA) acknowledges that we are in unprecedented times and this is associated with anxiety and uncertainty. We wish to reassure our clients and their families, insofar as is possible, our continuing commitment to the provision of the HSE National Homebirth Service and maintenance of our high standards of care and safety.

Pregnant women themselves do not appear to be more susceptible to the consequences of infection with COVID-19 than the general population (RCOG, 2020). We support protecting the mother and baby dyad as the optimum health outcome for you both.

Please be aware that this is very much an evolving situation and your midwife will inform you of any personal changes in her circumstances. For regular updates please utilise reliable sources including https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html.

As part of our commitment to prioritising your health and safety and that of your baby amid the current outbreak of Coronavirus COVID 19 we are advising you of some changes in our practice. We are being guided by the Health Service Executive, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Midwives Association of Ireland.

What we are doing

• Continue with excellent hand hygiene practices.

• Put extra cleaning measures of our equipment into practice between visits.

• We will contact you by phone when we arrive at your house, conduct as much of the appointment and education as possible over the phone/video conference to limit the time in close proximity.

• We will be practicing social distancing, two metres between us for as much of our visit as possible except when physical contact is necessary.

• Rescheduling appointments where possible.

• See you in your own home.

• Not coming to work if we are unwell, we will arrange cover as necessary.

  We ask that you

• Inform us if you have any symptoms or are unwell. We can plan the most appropriate pathway of care for you.

• Postpone your appointment if you have been in close contact with people with risk factors such as symptoms or recent overseas travel.

• Limit the number of support persons at appointments, ideally only one.

As always your midwife is available to answer your concerns about your pregnancy or baby.