NYC Hospitals Reverse Bans On Visitors During Childbirth

NEW YORK, NY — Some New York City hospitals that barred family members and pregnancy support workers such as midwives and doulas from visiting patients in labor are reversing course on the policy following pressure applied by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo through an executive order.

Cuomo signed an executive order on Saturday night that states that any medical facility licensed by New York state is required to permit new mothers one visitor for patients at the time of labor. Hospitals may screen visitors for signs of a fever, according to the executive order.

The order was signed following decisions by major New York City hospital systems such as NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai to ban visitors in delivery rooms as a measure to curb the spread of coronavirus in hospitals. NewYork-Presbyterian had banned all adult visitors for patients in its hospitals.

Both hospitals announced Saturday evening they would reverse course in light of the executive order.

"In partnership with New York State, effective today, we will permit one healthy partner to join the expectant mother for labor and delivery. We have always - and will always - make these difficult decisions with the best of intentions and safety of the mother, baby and our staff as our guiding principle," a Mount Sinai spokesperson said in a statement.

NewYork-Presbyterian also issued a statement around 8:30 p.m. Saturday saying: "Starting immediately, one birthing partner or support person will be allowed to be with our obstetric patients during labor and delivery."

Banning visitors from labor and delivery rooms proved to be a decisive measure. A petition started by a New York City-based doula ripping the hospitals for forcing women to give birth alone garnered more than 600,000 signatures — many by expectant fathers outraged that they would not be able to support mothers during their children's births.