Visiting and Birthing Partners

We encourage partners and companions to be fully involved in the care of women and birthing people throughout their pregnancy.

We have introduced an award-winning programme, which was the first of its kind in inner London, enabling you to stay overnight in our antenatal and postnatal wards to support women and birthing people.

If you are a partner of a pregnant woman or birthing person, you can play a vital role in supporting your loved one during pregnancy. This can involve practical and emotional support. It is also very important that you look after yourself during this exciting time.

NHS Choices provides useful tips on how to look after your partner and yourself during your partner’s pregnancy. It offers useful information about the different stages of pregnancy and how your partner may be feeling, with suggestions on how you can offer support.

Antenatal Ward (Murray Ward)
Partners can visit at any time, including staying overnight.
Visiting times are 3pm - 6pm every day for visitors other than partners and companions. We can only accept a maximum of 2 visitors at any time, including partners.

Please note that only the children of women staying on the ward can visit during visiting hours.

For the safety of all those on the ward, please do not open doors for other visitors during your stay – staff are available to do this.

Partners who are staying overnight are requested not to leave the ward between 10pm and 6am.

During Labour (Birth Centre and Labour Ward)

During labour, you are welcome to have 2 birth partners who can stay with you throughout your time on either Birth Centre or Labour Ward, including overnight.

If you labour on Labour Ward, the second birthing partner is expected to leave at 2 hours after delivery or on transfer to Cellier Ward (Postnatal Ward) if this is earlier than 2 hours.

If you labour on Birth Centre, we encourage the second birth partner to go home when you and baby are settled, usually a couple of hours after birth. If you and your baby are transferred to Labour Ward postnatally or transferred to Cellier Ward then the second birth partner is asked to go home.

Doulas and birth support workers
We welcome the support that doulas can offer women and birthing people and their families. At the Whittington, we have been working collaboratively with our local doula and birth worker community for many years. Recently this has grown to include workshops, sharing ideas of ways we can work together to provide excellent care and support to our service users. Please note, if you have a doula during labour, they would be included as one of your 2 birth partners.

Postnatal Ward (Cellier Ward)
Partners and companions can stay with mothers throughout their time on the postnatal ward, including overnight.

Visiting times are 3pm – 7pm every day for other visitors (such as grandparents or siblings of the baby).

Up to two visitors, excluding partners, are allowed during visiting times.

Please note that for children under 16, only children of women staying on the ward can visit.

Please do not open doors for other visitors or take babies out of the ward unless they have been discharged. This is for the safety of all those on the ward.

Last updated27 Mar 2024