Covid: Outdoor meetings for new parents would be lifeline, charity says

Meeting people outside your extended household is banned in Wales

Allowing new parents to meet up at a social distance outdoors would be a "lifeline", according to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

The charity warned the current restrictions in Wales are "isolating" and cause "anxiety and frustration".

Lockdown rules in Wales mean people cannot meet apart from in limited circumstances.

The Welsh Government said parents can ask friends and family for support if there is "no reasonable alternative".

The current restrictions only allow single-parent households and people living on their own to form an extended household to spend time with others.

All organised group activities, including parent and baby classes, are banned.

However in England, any household with a child under one can form an extended household, and in Scotland outdoor parent and baby classes for up to seven adults are permitted.

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"A lot of people say they want to have at least one meeting with another parent face to face, to be able to have a walk with them and really have that sort of chat where you can say the things that are worrying you, things that it might be a bit delicate [or] embarrassing to speak over a screen," said Elizabeth Duff of NCT.

"It would be fantastic if just a little bit more flexibility for the occasional one-to-one meeting could be allowed.

"That would be a lifeline for some parents."

Bethan Sayed said new parents should be allowed to meet up in the open air

Bethan Sayed, a Plaid Cymru member of the Senedd (MS) who gave birth in April, said new parents should be allowed to meet outdoors.

"If they're socially distancing, if there's no more than a certain number of parents with prams, then I think that would be acceptable," she said.

"It's so isolating, especially in the early days when you're out of hospital when you're a new parent.

"You need to speak to and actually physically meet other parents just to share experiences and to get new tips on what to do."

Emma Loyns, who runs Monkey Music classes in south Wales, has moved her baby sessions online due to the lockdown rules but has called for face-to-face group activities to be allowed to resume.

She insists her classes are "Covid-safe" with parents and babies kept three metres apart.

"We've been recognised in other parts of the UK as being essential support groups," she said.

"Our classes are educational and are great for the children, but we support the parents in a way that they might not get anywhere else.

"For a lot of our parents, coming to class may be the only thing they do all week long and they may not have any other support."

Nursery groups currently cannot meet face-to-face because of lockdown restrictions in Wales

The Welsh Government insisted organised activities for children cannot take place at alert level 4 "due to the seriousness" of coronavirus.

"Under alert level 4, the rules do allow parents of babies to access support from their families or close friends, if they need it and there is no reasonable alternative," a spokesman added.

"To help parents with new-born babies and young children, our rules allow for informal childcare arrangements with friends or family to continue.

"The rules also allow meetings with friends or family if parents with new-born babies need extra support and help, but only if there are no other reasonable methods by which the support and help can be provided."

However parents are advised to "minimise the number of people you engage with for support, and the number of meetings, as much as possible".

Becky Bennett said she is worried that lockdown is "damaging" for her son Wyn

'Really tough'

Becky Bennett, from Wrexham, gave birth to her son Wyn in April.

For a time they were able to attend baby sensory classes, but that has been halted by lockdown and time began to "stand still".

"It was almost like getting that little bit of a taster of normality and then having it ripped away," Becky said.

"I found it especially helpful from a mental health perspective because you've got that something to look forward to and something to get you through the week.

"Just meeting some of the mums - we were always sat at a two-metre distance with a mask - you can say, 'I've had a really bad night' and they understand.

"It's been really tough to go back from having those sessions, a bit of routine and that ability to get out of the house, to having to sit and come up with ideas to keep your child entertained and stimulated.

"Otherwise it is just a case of you get up, have breakfast, have a nap, have dinner and it's the same.

"And it's not only probably damaging for him but for me as well."