Have you guys discussed with your doctors if this is their hospitals current policy? I have my appt tomorrow and plan on asking but just had a convo with a friend that said it was a requirement at the hospital she works at. I was flabbergasted! There is no way I’m laboring with a mask on, I feel like I can barely breathe just taking a walk outside for too long. What is your hospitals policy? I’m really not sure what I am going to do if this is my hospitals policy. I seriously may start considering alternative options.....

Update:

Doctor said that we get COVID tested nasally and also by bloodwork upon check in. Regardless of it being positive or negative both my husband and I have to wear masks the entire time. I told her I thought the testing is redundant then, but she said it will dictate if we can leave the room at all and also the mask policy is to ensure the mom doesn’t catch COVID from hospital staff. Really torn and disappointed. I feel like it’s really unethical to require a mom to go through especially active labor with a mask on. I voiced this concern and she told me depending on staff if I were having a hard time and needed a break from the mask and were to pull it off they most likely wouldn’t give me a hard time about it. Its so late in the game to change birth plans and I’m too scared to not give birth in a hospital since my first was in distress the entire labor and ended in an emergency c-section. I guess some of us have no choice but to labor with a mask getting suctioned to our face during heavy breathing.......