New mums offered outside shower
An expectant mother is ‘‘flummoxed’’ and furious she is expected to use an outside portable shower that barely works after she gives birth at a temporary maternity unit in Queenstown.
Helen Hodges, of Arrowtown, is due to give birth on May 5 and has changed her birthing plan to deliver somewhere that has suitable washing facilities after she discovered she was expected to use an outside shower set up outside a community dental clinic.
The clinic, opposite Lakes District Hospital, is being used as a temporary maternity birthing unit as part of the Southern District Health Board’s (SDHB) Covid-19 response.
‘‘In my experience, it is hard enough to have a shower after birth let alone leave the building and shower in a [portable shower],’’ Hodges said.
‘‘It is also in autumn. It was 3 degrees Celsius in Queenstown the other night.’’
She was told on April 2 a shower would be installed, but understood work had still not begun.
‘‘I don’t want to have to go outside to get clean. I have already had two children and I can’t imagine how anxiety-provoking it must be for first time mums especially to not know what to expect,’’ she said.
Partner Ryan Hodges said the inadequate level of service felt like a ‘‘kick in the guts’’ and was another example of the SDHB providing a terrible service to the Queenstown Lakes Area.
‘‘This area is already under resourced when it comes to mothers giving birth.’’
A Queenstown midwife, who asked not to be named, said she had been banging her head against a wall trying to get something more suitable set up.
The shower barely worked, she said.
‘‘Water just dribbles out, there is no heating, there is no privacy, it’s ridiculous ... We were promised they would fix the shower issue.’’
The board wanted to use the temporary unit for another two months while renovations were finished on the hospital unit, she said.
‘‘It is good because we are getting a birthing pool in the hospital unit, but midwives have voiced concern about women not having appropriate facilities for another two months — possibly more.
‘‘The shower was only meant to be a temporary solution, but I don’t think it’s looking very temporary.’’
SDHB associate general manager Debi Lawry said while the temporary facility did not have a permanent shower, ‘‘some alternative, less accessible options’’ had been provided.
‘‘This has not appeared to be such an issue for the women, as they understood the constraints in this Covid-19 dominated world. They identified they wanted skilled midwifery care in a safe environment.’’
The dentist building provided a safe environment, away from the potential exposure to Covid-19 positive cases, where mothers and babies could receive good, safe clinical midwifery care, she said.
There had been about six births in the relocated maternity premises.
The unit would move back to its permanent home in the maternity wing of Lakes District Hospital when the birthing pool had been installed. ‘‘Currently this is scheduled for the end of next month.’’
If there were delays, the DHB would consider relocating sooner, Lawry said
The Queenstown Dental Unit was not currently operating because routine dentistry was not permitted under Alert Level 4 and 3.