Women are routinely being denied birth support in Victorian hospitals during the pandemic. This is a violation of human rights, goes against World Health Organisation recommendations and is causing women, babies and their partners huge amounts of trauma.

Women need:
Birth support of choice whether birthing by cesarean or vaginally. 
The World Health Organisation has strictly advised against women birthing alone, and maintained that all women birthing in all places - whether a birth suite or operating theatre - have the right to their chosen birth companion throughout labour and birth, even and especially during the pandemic.

"WHO strongly recommends supporting women to have a chosen companion during labour and childbirth, including during COVID-19. 
When a woman has access to trusted emotional, psychological and practical support during labour and childbirth, evidence shows that both her experience of childbirth and her health outcomes can improve.  

The current COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. 

WHO Clinical management of COVID-19: interim guidance strongly recommends that all pregnant women, including those with suspected, probable or confirmed COVID-19, have access to a companion of choice during labour and childbirth."

Our governments and health officials have had more than 18 months to plan for this scenario. We know our health system is under tremendous pressure - but women cannot bear the brunt of it and be forced to birth alone.

Join us in calling on health officials to restore the rights of women to a support person of choice during all forms of childbirth in this pandemic, so that all women, everywhere, no matter what, can have the support they have the right to at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

Women's voices: 
"I was covid-19 positive and not allowed to have my husband with me at the hospital 4 weeks ago when I birthed our daughter. Once born, my daughter was taken to Special Care Nursery to receive antibiotics. They wouldn't let me see her. I later found out they also isolated her within the SCN treating her as covid positive, even though she tested negative - so she actually could have been in with me. I didn't see her for 36 hours. It was honestly the worst experience of my life." - Michaela, Melbourne

"My doula client transferred from a planned homebirth to hospital in labour, tested covid-19 positive with RAT on arrival, her partner, who tested negative, was able to be with her until she ended up having a c section and he wasn't allowed in theatre" - Anon, Doula

"Two days ago I was scheduled for an elective c section. When I arrived, my partner tested positive to covid-19 with a RAT. He was sent home, and they wouldn't let me have any other (covid-19 negative) support person because they had to be isolating for 72 hours prior. Today, I tested positive and they are discharging me." Anon, Melbourne

"7 weeks ago, I was supposed to birth at my Private hospital. They wouldn't see me because I was covid-19 Positive, 000 said to go to the Royal Women's. I went in to get my baby monitorred because I was dehydrated. Each Obstetrician wanted me to get baby out because I was 37 weeks, to give me a better chance to get better. I refused for about 12 hours, then my Obstetrician had been on the phone to The Women's and said I should get baby out now. I agreed, and within an hour I was taken to theatre - they wouldn't allow my husband to come because he was on day 9 of his 10 days of isolation. He didn't see her until she was 3 days old, and I had to stay another 48 hours in the covid ward - they wouldn’t let me take my baby there so my husband was able to come and pick her up. I know women do it all the time solo, but having no one to be on my team was hard."- Bek, Melbourne

FOR MEDIA CONTACT: Karli Smith - karli@karlismith.com

Photo of Hayley Williams, by photographer Zoe Wheatley