In preparation for the second wave of the pandemic, several UK
organisations published statements about the importance of the choice of
birthplace (RCM_30; RCOG_15). Many advantages to keeping place of
birth choices unrestricted were emphasised and included reducing the
risk of infection for women and babies (ICM_1; RCOG_2; AIMS_1) and
the reduced pressure on already overstretched hospitals (RCOG_2a;
AIMS_2; NHS_1).
In both countries, concerns were expressed that COVID measures may have
influenced choices around place of birth, such as Dutch hospitals not
allowing primary care midwives to be present at medium risk births, for
example when a woman has a postpartum haemorrhage after a previous
birth, leading women to choose home birth while this was not their first
choice (GB_3). In the UK, some of the documents described a potential
rise in the number of unassisted births, with several organisations
implying that the restrictions on birth place choices were a potential
cause (RCM_2; AIMS_2, _5; BR_1).
‘Closure of services, so women haven’t had choices. Yeah, and
might have ended up making choices like to freebirth that they wouldn’t
otherwise.’ (UK stakeholder 5, National Maternity Voices Partnerships)