Limerick maternity hospital urged to ease visitor restrictions

The restrictions are “incredibly difficult" for women who are giving birth, or for pregnant women attending for prenatal appointments, say campaigners.

Among them is Limerick mother Leah Stundon, whose due date is approaching.

“I've done this twice now. The first time around, it wasn't as noticeable because I didn't have any other children at home. My partner could come in and out. But this time around, it’s completely different, I would have been in and out of the maternity with a complicated pregnancy,” said Ms Stundon.

As her one-year-old daughter, Madison, is not allowed into the hospital, the expecting mother has had to rely on her partner, Eric. He is the only person allowed to visit her.

"He's the person I'm relying on to bring me stuff from home or to come in and visit, see how I'm doing. That's quite difficult when there's a child at home, and we don't have many external caregivers, we wouldn't have a lot of people that would babysit. The only time I would be able to see my daughter was outside the door of the maternity, which isn't ideal either when you’re having complications," she said.

Once you have nominated your support person, that person cannot change.

Anyone that I did ask was really sympathetic. They could really understand that it was quite difficult, that you could only have one person, and some of them had even said themselves that it was ridiculous, but that they have to go off guidelines.

“They were kind of saying, people will kind of turn a blind eye if they can, but it depends on who is on the ward,” she said.

Limerick Social Democrats councillor, Shane Hickey-O’Mara recently raised the issue of UMHL’s visitor restrictions during a council meeting in a bid to ease the restrictions.

UL Hospitals Group has been contacted for comment.