Debate erupts as mums disagree about dads staying in maternity wards

What do you think about it?

When you give birth, would you rather your partner be allowed stay over night or go home? A debate about the issue erupted online this week with a lot of people being split down the middle. Back in April, writer Annie Ridout tweeted saying it was "outrageous" that her partner wasn't allowed stay with her. She said: "My local hospital doesn't allow partners to stay on postnatal ward after their baby has been born. I think this is outrageous - unfair on the mother; unfair on the father, who's being made to feel unimportant. He needs to bond too. Do other UK hospitals have this rule?"

My local hospital doesn't allow partners to stay on postnatal ward after their baby has been born. I think this is outrageous - unfair on the mother; unfair on the father, who's being made to feel unimportant. He needs to bond too. Do other UK hospitals have this rule?

— Annie Ridout (@annieridout) April 29, 2019

The Sun only picked up the tweet this week, and then the article was posted on Mumsnet. The user on Mumsnet who shared the article on the site said that she rather not have her partner stay with her and it would be her idea of a "nightmare." She wrote:

"If on a shared ward it would have been my idea of a nightmare. The lack of privacy. A midwife bursting in when my boobs were out. Someone pushing against the curtain when I was getting my catheter removed. It was horrible enough when there were other women about. Never mind any random men."

Many agreed with her, saying they rather have dads stay at home. One said:

"Agreed! Also, what's the point both parents being ridiculously sleep deprived in the first few days?! Someone might as well get some sleep."

While another wrote:

"When women have their own private rooms I think they can have their DPs staying over. But post childbirth who the hell wants someone else's DP in what is their bedroom? I'm so glad I never had to go on a post-natal ward full of strange men. I honestly think that would've tipped me over the edge."

However another user disagreed and said she would have loved if her partner could have stayed with her and their newborn.

"I would have loved my partner to have stayed with me post birth. I felt quite nervous and a little scared to be doing anything on my own. I had a little rush of anxiety when he said he was off home for a bit."