Nor'West News: July 15, 2021

8 Thursday July 15 2021
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NOR’WEST NEWS
Sleeping on hospital
floor could soon be
a thing of the past
THE SUPPORT people
of mothers giving birth at
Christchurch Women’s Hospital
often resort to sleeping on the
floor if staying overnight.
It is why the Māia Health
Foundation aims to raise
$44,000 to buy 20 specialist
chairs, providing a comfortable
place for them to stay alongside a
new mother and baby.
Currently, a support person
can stay at the hospital but their
choices of where to sleep are
limited.
They are provided with either
an uncomfortable chair or a
vinyl mattress on the floor.
“That’s not an ideal solution
and it’s not very welcoming,”
said Norma Campbell, director
of midwifery for the Canterbury
and West Coast District Health
Board.
Each year more than 5500
women give birth at the
women’s hospital. It is the South
Island’s largest secondary/
tertiary hospital and the hub
for the Fetal Maternal Medicine
Service.
The specialised chairs the
foundation is fundraising for are
designed for hospital environments.
During the day they can be
used as a sofa chair for visitors
or a breastfeeding chair for the
mother, and in the evening they
convert into a lie-flat bed.
“The staff at Christchurch
Women’s Hospital go above and
beyond every day to care for our
community’s newest families.
It’s time we cared for them and
gave our new mums, babies and
families all the support we can
in those first few days together,”
said foundation chief executive
Michael Flatman.
UNCOMFORTABLE:
Canterbury and
West Coast
District Health
board director of
midwifery Norma
Campbell with the
current sleeping
arrangements for
support people of
women giving birth
at Christchurch
Women’s Hospital. ​
Campbell said demand for
their services was “incredibly
high.”
The maternity ward on
level five has 45 beds and is 80
to 90 per cent full most of the
time.
“At many times we have been
over capacity as there are increasing
numbers of women and
babies with complex needs or
who are impacted by underlying
health conditions,” Campbell
said.
“These women need our
support and they need their
own support – and it may seem
simple, but these chairs will help
provide that.”
•Individuals or businesses
can support the campaign
by donating at
www.maiahealth.org.nz/
projects/key-projects/
maternity-chairs
Nurse supports
fundraiser for
new chairs in
maternity ward
WHEN NURSE Joeann
Pagulayan goes to work at
Christchurch Women’s Hospital,
she sees an unwelcoming
situation.
Pagulayan spends most of her
time on level five, looking after
new mothers and babies.
Having been in the same
situation herself as a patient, she
finds it difficult to witness those
supporting the new mothers
either sleeping on the hospital
floor, or on uncomfortable chairs
if staying overnight.
It is why she is supporting the
Māia Health Foundation’s bid to
raise $44,000 to buy 20 specialist
chairs, which can fold out into a
lie-flat bed.
Pagulayan’s husband Mark
was by her side when she was
admitted to the hospital last year
after the birth of their daughter,
Matilda.
Pagulayan became unwell
after losing a large amount of
blood during birth and needed
monitoring and support.
Her husband ended up sleeping
on a mattress on the floor.
“He just wanted to be there for
me. Because of my condition,
mobilising was a bit challenging
so he stayed all throughout those
first few days to support Matilda
and me,” she said.
“Culturally it was just
what we do – no matter how
uncomfortable his stay was. It’s
such a precious time for a new
family and I want every new
family to be able to be together,
comfortable and safe.”
Pagulayan hails from the
Philippines.
She said in her culture, and
many Asian cultures, a husband,
a partner or a support person is
expected to stay with a
Joeann Pagulayan
new mother.
“They are there to help, to take
turns looking after the baby,
giving the new mum a couple of
hours rest,” said Pagulayan.
“That little bit of support and
rest changes everything for the
mum – how they feel physically
and emotionally and how they
can connect with their new baby.
“As a nurse, I feel really bad for
those mothers who don’t have a
support person to stay with them
overnight, I see how difficult it
can be for many new mums.”
Pagulayan understood why the
current situation of providing
a mattress on the floor or an
uncomfortable chair meant
that for some, having a support
person was not an option.
“Having people on the floor is
not ideal at all for the patients or
the staff,” she said.
“Sometimes when we enter
the room, especially if it’s dark,
we don’t notice straightaway that
there’s someone on the floor.”
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