Pregnant women are to be allowed to have their partner present as they attend maternity appointments, during labour and after birth, as the NHS changes their guidance.
Under the new rules expectant mothers in England are now allowed to have one person with them throughout their pregnancy, during labour, birth and their immediate postnatal period as long as their support partner is not showing any symptoms of coronavirus.
Previous restrictions forced some women to attend baby scans and midwife appointments alone and the rules varied depending on where they lived.
The new restrictions were published on Monday in a document called 'Supporting pregnant women using maternity services during the coronavirus pandemic: Actions for NHS providers' health trusts are requested to review their current rules - reports Mirror Online.
Health chiefs are asked to undertake a risk assessment in each part of their maternity service to see where there could be an increased risk of transmitting coronavirus if a birthing partner is present and tackle any issues with "appropriate infection prevention and control measures" including training and PPE.
Pregnant mums and their support partner should also be tested for the virus before they attend 12 and 20 week scans and any maternity-related appointments.
Birthright, an organisation that promotes human rights in pregnancy and childbirth, welcomed the changes.
They tweeted: "Delighted to see the revised guidance for visiting in maternity services, recognising that #partnersarenotvisitors, that they are a "key component of safe and personalised maternity care" who should be included throughout."
In September mum-to-be Gemma Wilson who expecting a baby with her partner, Nikki, 34, after going through IVF, said the rules which forced her to go to appointments alone were not acceptable.
She backed the #butnotmaternity campaign which had launched a petition to call for restrictions on maternity services to be lifted.
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"At the first scan, I wasn't worried walking in on my own at first and then I saw a girl who was pregnant and she was in tears, it looked as if she hadn't been told the best news and then it hit me that I was on my own and had no support.
"I had a scare and a bad bleed at around six weeks and had to go to A&E and have a scan by myself while Nikki sat in the car.
"I didn't want to hear news like that I had lost my baby on my own and then go out and tell her.
"It's not how it should be, finding out that way. I was still on my own waiting to find out in a waiting room full of strangers.
"Luckily, everything was OK but there will be times for other people where it isn't."
