Mother in distress separated from breastfed baby for days during hospital stay | Hospitals

A new mom spoke of her distress after misguided Covid rules led to her being separated from her six-week-old baby for nearly a week while receiving treatment in the hospital.

Charlotte Jones, 29, was taken by ambulance to Princess Royal University hospital in Kent on Wednesday after complications following the birth of her son Leo. When she arrived, she asked if she would be able to see her baby, who is breastfeeding, while she was in the hospital, but was told that it would not be allowed due to the coronavirus threat. She didn’t see him until he was released six days later.

The restrictions applied in Jones’ case appear to contravene official guidance and go against the advice of NHS England, which specifies that mothers and babies should be kept together unless absolutely necessary to separate them. Separation at such a critical time can have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of the mother, baby and family in general, health care professionals and charities say.

The King’s College NHS foundation, which runs the hospital, has admitted that although it is limiting visitor numbers during the pandemic, there is no policy that prevents babies from being brought in for breastfeeding. Trust is committed to ensuring that staff are aware of its policies.

“There was no information, choice or communication,” Jones said. “When I asked if I could see my baby, it was an apartment: ‘No, this is not allowed due to Covid.’ Mentally I was so bad. I was worried about the milk supply. I am a first time mother and I was thinking, ‘What should I do?’ “

Jones said she was hospitalized and diagnosed with gastroenteritis and a blood infection following an emergency cesarean. section when he handed Leo.

She also claimed that on the third day in the hospital she was given a breast pump but no advice on how to use it. She repeatedly asked to see a trained healthcare professional for her breastfeeding concerns, but no one came until Monday, she said, which was six days after her hospitalization and the day she was due to be discharged.

Jones said she received excellent treatment but no advice from maternity services. “I needed someone with specialist advice. There was none of that, “he said.” I got more information from people on Instagram. It’s not just about me. I have received so many messages from so many mothers who have experienced the same thing, or from those who have experienced it. “

The Guardian revealed last month that mothers were needlessly separated from their babies due to hospital restrictions introduced to stop the spread of Covid. Activists wrote to health ministers from the four UK nations to demand that mothers and babies be kept together as much as possible and that national guidelines be followed. The letter has been signed by over 2,000 charities, health professionals and parents, but has not yet been answered.

Dr Victoria Thomas, pediatrician and co-chair of the Hospital Infant Feeding Network, told the Guardian that mothers and babies should effectively be seen as one unit. “Separating them carries both mental and physical health risks.”

He added: “Clinical facilities may need additional resources or funding to make keeping parents and children together, but this should be a priority due to the dangerous impacts of separation.” Thomas said now, nearly nine months into the pandemic measures, all clinical facilities should actively develop pathways and guidelines to avoid unnecessary and harmful separations.

“There are very few medical reasons why a mother would not be allowed to have a baby with her in the hospital,” said Dr Helen Mactier, president of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine. “Any separation between mother and baby is likely to have a negative impact on breastfeeding, the mother’s mental health and bonding and attachment to the baby.”

Jones is back home now with Leo and partner Matt, who had to stop working as a personal trainer while she was in the hospital to care for her son. “The whole experience was agonizing. He added a stress that shouldn’t have happened. I felt I was alone and had to sort things out by myself. “

He will file a formal complaint with the hospital and write to his MP. “It’s not fair what’s going on,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the King’s College NHS foundation said, “We are very sorry to learn that Ms. Jones was distressed during her recent hospitalization. Although we are limiting the number of visitors to the wards due to the risks of Covid infection, there is no policy that states that a baby cannot be brought to the hospital to be nursed … We are working to ensure that staff are aware of this policy to avoid any future misunderstanding. “