Doula wants back into hospitals as 2nd support person for women in labour
A Saint-Antoine woman has been protesting outside the Moncton Hospital against a rule that forces pregnant woman to leave their doulas behind when they enter the hospital to give birth.
COVID-19 restrictions only allow one support person in the delivery room and usually that slot goes to fathers. Before the pandemic two support people were allowed to be present.
But Maureen Melanson, a doula for more than 10 years, said it's time the pandemic restrictions were eased to allow a second support person to return to the delivery room.
"I sat by patiently waiting and then my clients started getting upset and asking me about when this would change. I would say, 'I'm very optimistic, it shouldn't take long.' Then it's June, July, August, six months later and there's no change," she told Information Morning Moncton.
A doula is a non-medical support person who provides companionship to pregnant or labouring mother and to mothers with newborns.
Melanson said having to leave their doulas behind makes some mothers hesitant to go to the hospital.
"It's doulas that are getting phone calls at one in the morning. They go support them at home and then say 'OK, it's time for you to go to the hospital now, but I have to leave you at the door.'"
Melanson said she doesn't consider herself a visitor and is only asking to be present during labour.
"There's no expectation to go over postpartum. It's just there to support them, to continue the care that we started."
Melanson has reached out to multiple government and health officials. She said she still isn't sure who is making these decisions.
"Who are they? What are their names? Let us connect. We'd be so happy to have that conversation."
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Geri-Geldart, vice-president clinical for Horizon Health, said patients can choose to have a second support person but only one can be in the building at a time.
"Patients in Horizon labour and delivery units may have one healthy visitor or support person — such as a doula — with them at any time, day or night," he said.
"These guidelines are in place to help ensure the safety of staff, patients and visitors and to reduce the potential risk of transmission within our facilities during the pandemic by maintaining appropriate physical distancing."
'Medical staff are busy'
Melanson became a doula after thinking about her first experience with childbirth. She said it's hard to know what to expect and many questions can go unanswered.
"Medical staff are busy, hospitals are short-staffed," she said. "Sometimes they're going to be three or four women coming in at the same time, and the one who is the highest priority is going to get the attention that's needed."
She said having a doula in the room is helpful to the mother and to nurses.
"It makes it easier on the nursing staff who are, I'm sure, during COVID, tired and overwhelmed, to know that they can trust the person that's in the room [with the mother] to say, 'Hey, if we're needed, they'll come get us.'"
She stood outside the Moncton Hospital on Thursday with a sign that reads "Let doulas back into the hospital."
She plans to spend her weekend doing the same thing.
"We've been frontline workers quietly for many years, long before COVID ever happened."
