Pregnant women in New Zealand are currently struggling during the COVID-19 Pandemic around the implications it may have on their prenatal care and birthing options, as well as the care of newborn babies.

 Currently, there has been very little direct, clear and accessible guidance from the Ministry of Health given to these women or their midwives about what to expect if they are delivering during the Nationwide Lockdown, or the support they are able to get. This has lead to extreme stress for new mothers, who have very little information on steps they should be taking during this time. The guidelines and rules for care and labour differ between midwifery practices, hospitals and birthing units, making it extremely unnerving, stressful and unclear for pregnant women.

Before COVID-19, the maternity care system in New Zealand was already hugely understaffed and underpaid, so it is no surprise that it is an area of our healthcare system that is already suffering during the pandemic - The issues raised here are not the fault of our local midwives, who go above and beyond to provide care for us the best they can. 

Current areas of concern for women which have not been addressed by the Ministry of Health include but are not limited to: 

• Being unable to have their partner or support person with them during labour or being unable to have their partner or support person stay with them in the hospital after a complicated delivery. This is contrary to The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, which states "the right to support."
• Being pushed into having a labour they are not comfortable with, and not feeling as if their birthing options are clear and understandable. This is contrary toThe Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, which states "the right to effective communication," "the right to be fully informed," and "the right to make an informed choice and give informed consent." 

This petition is not asking for special allowances for pregnant women in regard to decisions made by the Ministry of Health which are in the best interest of the public health system and fighting the pandemic. We want to do our bit, like everyone else in New Zealand.

We are asking for the following: 

• Recognition from the Ministry of Health that pregnant women are a population which are at risk of being adversely impacted during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and that currently DHBs are implementing systems that are contrary to The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights.
• Clarification as to why these rights have changed, and clear guidelines as to what women can expected Nationwide at this time in regard to their prenatal and postnatal care. 
• Recognition that stricter measures during labour and restricted access to support systems pre and post-birth will likely create higher postnatal depression rates among new mothers. 
•  Implementation of support systems for pregnant women and new mothers who are struggling during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which are accessible (primarily in mental health and wellbeing, and being able to access essential items for babies and mums).

The abrupt and unexplained or acknowledged change to women's rights as patients as stated in the The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights by DHBs across New Zealand during the COVID-19 Pandemic is causing huge uncertainty and stress for pregnant women throughout New Zealand.

We would like to stress we are not asking for special treatment during this time, we want to do our bit to fight this pandemic and support our healthcare system. What we are asking for is clear guidance from our Government as to why and how our patient rights have changed, and recognition of the serious risks that comes with this change. As well as this, we ask for support systems to mitigate the risk to women's health.

If we have this information we will be better able to continue to isolate and social distance in order to fight COVID-19, while also keeping ourselves and our babies safe and well. Thank you.