To keep our maternity units safe for everyone, including our staff, visiting guidance is in constant review and may be updated during your stay with us. Visiting is in conjunction with our inpatient policy for testing for Covid-19. You and your support partners are tested for Covid-19 on admission (PCR test). Results will be reported to you.

All support partners, visitors and siblings MUST be Covid-19 negative and have completed any recommended voluntary government isolation period, where applicable. Anyone visiting the ward MUST wear a surgical mask (unless exempt or children under 8 years of age) throughout their visit. You will also be asked to wear a surgical mask, other than when you are in labour or holding your baby.

If you are COVID positive and your support partner is visiting they must remain in your isolation room throughout your stay in the hospital. If they choose to remain in the hospital until discharged home, (please do not share the bed for infection control purposes) they must ensure they have clean clothes, food etc. If they return home, we cannot allow re-admittance to the ward.

The neonatal unit will not allow you to visit if you are Covid-19 positive, and your support partner visiting will be at the discretion of the neonatal unit – please discuss with the neonatal unit.

Antenatal ward

• ONE support partner may stay overnight
• Support partner will have a PCR test on first admission (repeated if admission for more than 3 days)
• ONE visitor and siblings 4 pm to 6 pm only
• ALL support partners, visitors and siblings must be symptom-free of Covid-19 and well, throughout their visit
• We will ask for proof of a negative LFT undertaken on the same day as visiting, for ALL visitors on arrival to the ward. Siblings will have their temperature taken on arrival.

Postnatal ward

• ONE support partner may stay overnight
• Support partner will have a PCR test on first admission (repeated if admission for more than 3 days)
• ONE visitor and siblings between 4 pm to 6 pm
• ALL support partners, visitors and siblings must be symptom-free of Covid-19 and well, throughout their visit
• We will ask for proof of a negative LFT taken on the same day as visiting, for ALL visitors on arrival to the ward. Siblings will have their temperature taken on arrival
• Partners who chose to return home overnight must provide a negative LFT taken that same day on arrival to the ward.

Labour ward

• ONE support partner – may stay throughout labour
• Support partner and the visitor will have a PCR test on first admission (repeated if admission for more than 3 days)
• ONE visitor and siblings may visit after the birth if requiring a stay in the labour ward for up to 2 hours
• ALL support partners, visitors and siblings must be symptom-free of Covid-19 and well, throughout their visit
• We will ask for proof of a negative LFT undertaken on the same day as visiting, for ALL visitors. Children will have their temperature taken on arrival.

Antenatal clinics / Maternity Day Assessment Unit & Ultrasound scanning

• ONE support partner may accompany you to your appointment
• NO siblings are to attend any clinic / scan appointments
• ALL support partners, must be symptom free of Covid-19 and well
• We will ask for proof of a negative LFT undertaken on the same day as the appointment.

updated 6.5.2022

Please see the attached information

If you are having a planned caesarean section or induction of labour, both yourself and your birthing partner should self isolate for 14 days before your admission.

For women who do not know until nearer the planned time, it is important that you and your birthing partner self isolate until you are admitted to hospital. 

Our early pregnancy unit (EPAU) is open as usual. Women who are less than 14 weeks and have pain and bleeding should contact the EPAU for advice, we will offer a scan if needed.

Your midwife will see you for your routine antenatal appointments, where GP surgeries are closed we are making arrangements to run clinics in other locations. Your midwife will contact you if your appointment has to be moved.

We will continue to offer routine scans and screening appointments to women who are well. In order to keep our patients and staff safe, we are minimising the number of people visiting our hospitals. As part of this, all antenatal scans at 12 and 20 weeks are currently taking place at Andover War Memorial Hospital - and only one person is able to attend with women who require scans.

We would like to reduce the number of people in our waiting areas to help social distancing and people attending to support women who require a scan may be asked to wait outside until called if the waiting area becomes too busy.

If you are under the care of a consultant obstetrician you will be offered antenatal clinic appointments as usual. If it is possible to have a telephone appointment instead this will need to be arranged in advance, we will provide information on the process for this as soon as possible.

Women who have underlying health problems like diabetes, heart or lung diseases such as significant asthma maybe more at risk from COVID-19 and should strongly consider self-isolating. 

All women should follow the usual advice about staying healthy in pregnancy. This means eating well, exercising when possible and cutting out alcohol and stopping smoking.

If you have any concerns about your pregnancy such as pain or reduced movements please contact the Day Assessment unit as usual. The midwife will give you advice and agree when and where you should be seen.

All antenatal classes and tours of the maternity unit have been suspended until further notice. We will offer additional information on line as soon as we are able.

We are continuing to support women who are well to give birth in Winchester, Basingstoke and Andover as well as at home. This may be reviewed on a daily basis as the situation changes. Please contact Labour Line when your labour begins and the team will be able to give you the latest information.

You can only have one birth partner with you in labour, you are not able to swop support partners. The same person who is your birth partner is the only visitor who can visit you during your hospital stay. We will consider a second person to be with you only if there are exceptional circumstances, please talk to your midwife.

We have restricted visiting in place across our hospitals. At this time we are not able to allow anyone other than your birth partner to visit. This includes the baby’s brothers and sisters.

We are encouraging all women to consider breastfeeding to help protect the baby.

An advice line is available for pregnant women, allowing them to speak to midwives and maternity support workers about their questions and concerns, both in terms of COVID-19 and generally.

Women should call 01962 824481 and the line will initially be open from from 0800-1600, seven days a week, with a view to extending these times in the near future.

Women should continue to call Labour Line if they are going into labour, or the Day Assessment Unit if they have immediate concerns about themselves or their babies.

Outside of the advice line hours, women should continue to call the relevant contact numbers on their maternity notes.

Please let staff know that you are self-isolating before you come to hospital or are seen by our team in the community. This is so that we can give you the best care to keep you, your baby and our team safe.

Pregnant women who are exposed to COVID-19 are not thought to be at increased risk of miscarriage. If you are less than 14 weeks pregnant and have any pain or bleeding please contact EPAU for advice.

Pregnant women are not thought to be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 virus or to be more likely to experience complications if they do have it. Please follow the current advice for self-isolating. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/ .

If you are due to see your midwife for a routine antenatal appointment please contact her in advance and let her know that you are self-isolating.  Your midwife will talk to you and decide whether you need to be seen or if your appointment can be delayed.  Your midwife will agree when and where you will have your next antenatal appointment.

If you are due to see your consultant obstetrician for a routine antenatal appointment you will be contacted by the consultant’s team. You may be able to have a telephone appointment with the consultant’s team if you don’t need to be examined. If you need a face to face appointment with the consultant before your self-isolation ends, special arrangements for you to attend your appointment will be made.

If you are under the care of a consultant and need to be seen for a specialist appointment e.g. with the diabetic team, haematology or fetal medicine, please contact our Antenatal Clinic Midwives directly for advice on: 01256 314720 for Basingstoke, or 01962 825585 for Winchester.

If you have any concerns about your pregnancy such as pain or reduced movements please contact the Day Assessment unit as usual. The midwife will give you advice and agree when and where you should be seen.
 

Giving birth

Any woman who has someone in her household who is unwell or has been self-isolating due to COVID-19 contact will be asked to come into Basingstoke to give birth in our maternity isolation area.

We have been advised that we should care for women who are unwell, or at risk of developing COVID-19, in hospital and offer them additional care in labour:

• The current recommendation is that we ask you to have continuous fetal monitoring in labour so we can monitor your baby closely.
• We may ask to take blood tests in labour.
• We will encourage you to have an epidural in labour. This is to reduce the chance of you needing a general anaesthetic. Unfortunately we are not able to offer you use of the birth pool. Your midwife will talk to you about other pain relief options depending on your needs and health in labour.
• We will delay clamping the baby’s umbilical cord for a short time when he or she is born unless there are specific reasons why this is not advisable.
• We will have a member of our neonatal team present at the birth in case your baby may need some additional help with his or her breathing when he or she is born.
• We will assess your baby at birth and he or she will remain with you unless you or the baby are unwell and need extra care in our high dependency or neonatal unit.
• We will test the baby for the COVID-19 virus. We will make a specific plan with you for the care of yourself and your baby after birth. This will depend on your condition at the time, the type of birth you have and whether you and your baby need any further treatment.

We will also do these things if you are having a planned caesarean section.

At present there is no evidence that women who may have COVID-19 need to change the way they are intending to give birth. If you are seriously ill the team caring for you will make a plan for your birth with you and your birth partner.

We are strongly advising women to breastfeed as this may offer the baby additional protection and other health benefits.

You will be given advice about ways to limit the chance of baby catching the virus after birth.

Please let staff know that you have symptoms of COVID-19 before you come to hospital or are seen by our team in the community. This is so that we can give you the best care to keep you, your baby and our team safe.

Please see the NHS website for the latest advice on caring for yourself with the virus https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/ .

Most people are expected to have only mild to moderate symptoms. If you are experiencing any worrying symptoms that you cannot cope with, or you have not improved after seven days please contact NHS111 online for advice https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/ .

Please contact your community midwife and let her know that you are unwell. You do not need to be seen by a midwife unless you have concerns about your pregnancy such as reduced movements.  

If you have had a confirmed COVID-19 infection you should be offered an antenatal ultrasound scan two weeks after your recovery; your community midwife will arrange this.

If you are due to have an antenatal appointment in the next 14 days please discuss this with your midwife. Your midwife will talk to you and decide whether you need to be seen or if your appointment can be delayed.  Your midwife will agree when and where you will have your next antenatal appointment.

If you are due to see your consultant obstetrician for a routine antenatal appointment you will be contacted by the consultant’s team. You may be able to delay your appointment or have a telephone appointment with the consultant’s team if you don’t need to be examined. If you need a face to face appointment with the consultant while you are unwell, special arrangements for you to attend your appointment will be made.

If you are under the care of a consultant and need to be seen for a specialist appointment e.g. with the diabetic team, haematology or fetal medicine, please contact our Antenatal Clinic Midwives directly for advice on: 01256 314720 for Basingstoke, or 01962 825585 for Winchester.

If you have any concerns about your pregnancy such as pain or reduced movements please contact the Day Assessment unit as usual. The midwife will give you advice and agree when and where you should be seen.

Giving birth

Any woman who is unwell due to COVID-19 or is still recovering from the virus will be asked to come into Basingstoke hospital to give birth in our maternity isolation area.

We have been advised that we should care for women who are unwell, or at risk of developing COVID-19, in hospital and offer them additional care in labour:

• The current recommendation is that we ask you to have continuous fetal monitoring in labour so we can monitor your baby closely.
• We may ask to take blood tests in labour.
• We will encourage you to have an epidural in labour. This is to reduce the chance of you needing a general anaesthetic. Unfortunately we are not able to offer you use of the birth pool. Your midwife will talk to you about other pain relief options depending on your needs and health in labour.
• We will delay clamping the baby’s umbilical cord for a short time when he or she is born unless there are specific reasons why this is not advisable.
• We will have a member of our neonatal team present at the birth in case your baby may need some additional help with his or her breathing when he or she is born.
• We will assess your baby at birth and he or she will remain with you unless you or the baby are unwell and need extra care in our high dependency or neonatal unit.
• We will test the baby for the COVID-19 virus. We will make a specific plan with you for the care of yourself and your baby after birth. This will depend on your condition
• at the time, the type of birth you have and whether you and your baby need any further treatment.

We will also do these things if you are having a planned caesarean section.

At present there is no evidence that women who may have COVID-19 need to change the way they are intending to give birth. If you are seriously ill the team caring for you will make a plan for your birth with you and your birth partner

We are strongly advising women to breastfeed as this may offer the baby additional protection and other health benefits.

You will be given advice about ways to limit the chance of baby catching the virus after birth.

If your birth partner does not have any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) they can still come into hospital with you.

In line with national advice, all partners of patients with symptoms will be given a mask to wear due to having close contact with another person who may have coronavirus, which will be given to them prior to entering the hospital building. Only one birth partner may accompany you and other visiting restrictions are in place across our hospitals, which can be found here.

If your birth partner does have symptoms or has tested positive for COVID-19, they should self-isolate and not attend the unit with you. We understand that this may be stressful or upsetting, so please think about a potential alternative birth partner who may be able to accompany you.

Tours of the maternity units at all three of our hospitals are currently suspended as a precaution to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Information about Hampshire breastfeeding support can be found here

Coronavirus: Parent information for newborn babies (NHS leaflet)

Coronavirus: Planning your birth (NHS leaflet)

Coronavirus: Looking after yourself and your baby in pregnancy (NHS leaflet)

Coronavirus: Looking after yourself and your baby in pregnancy - translated versions (NHS website)

Antenatal education information