Petition · past parliament
To have 2 birthing partners not just one.
Rejected
11 signatures
What the petition asks
Change the birthing partners to 2 not just one. Being a first time mum it’s very scary to experience like birth and being very close to my mum, I’m gonna want the support of my mum as well as my partner.
Being pregnant during the pandemic has been very challenging for us first times mum, we’ve missed out on everything. Baby showers, 4D scans, not being able to show the world my growing bump, it’s took the experience that’s meant to be wonderful to quite upsetting. So starting this petition I hope we can make it work.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
We were sorry to read how the pandemic has impacted your experience of being pregnant. We wish you the best for the rest of your pregnancy and birth.
We can't accept your petition because the UK Government or Parliament are not responsible for this issue. Decisions about the number of birth partners who are permitted to attend a birth is a matter for individual hospitals and NHS trusts, and not the Government or House of Commons.
The NHS has published guidance on intrapartum maternity care which states that women should have access to one birth partner during labour, provided they are asymptomatic: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/C0241-specialty-guide-intrapartum-maternity-care-9-april-2020.pdf
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also produced guidance which states that women should be able to have a birth partner present during labour and birth: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/#choices
It is an operational decision as to how individual hospitals and NHS trusts implement this guidance.
You may be interested to know that the Petitions Committee conducted an inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on parental leave, as a result of a petition it received and published a report.
You can read the summary here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/how-has-maternity-and-parental-leave-been-impacted-by-coronavirus-/index.html
You can read the full report here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmpetitions/526/52602.htm
We can't accept your petition because the UK Government or Parliament are not responsible for this issue. Decisions about the number of birth partners who are permitted to attend a birth is a matter for individual hospitals and NHS trusts, and not the Government or House of Commons.
The NHS has published guidance on intrapartum maternity care which states that women should have access to one birth partner during labour, provided they are asymptomatic: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/04/C0241-specialty-guide-intrapartum-maternity-care-9-april-2020.pdf
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also produced guidance which states that women should be able to have a birth partner present during labour and birth: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/#choices
It is an operational decision as to how individual hospitals and NHS trusts implement this guidance.
You may be interested to know that the Petitions Committee conducted an inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on parental leave, as a result of a petition it received and published a report.
You can read the summary here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/how-has-maternity-and-parental-leave-been-impacted-by-coronavirus-/index.html
You can read the full report here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5801/cmselect/cmpetitions/526/52602.htm
Timeline
| 5 Jun 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 13 Aug 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
11
Status
Rejected
Rejected
13 Aug 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.