A New York City mom gave birth in a hospital without her partner because of coronavirus restrictions. Here's what it was like.

Emily Scheer
Because of a short-lived rule at some hospitals in New York City, Emily Scheer gave birth to her second daughter without her partner present.

Emily Scheer

When Emily Scheer and her husband, Billy, got to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Scheer was 5 centimeters dilated and her contractions were coming hard — and fast. The couple had made peace with the fact that they wouldn't be together during the delivery due to the hospital's coronavirus-related restrictions. But Billy wanted to at least help his wife settle in.

As the Scheers made their way through the sliding glass doors, a hulking security guard stopped the couple. He told them that the rules had "changed" and that Billy had to leave the hospital immediately.

The security guard took Scheer's bags, and reassured Billy that he would personally help Emily to her room.

"You take good care of her," Billy said to the guard while fighting back tears. The guard responded with a fist bump.

The couple had a moment to hug before separating.

While Emily made her way upstairs, where she was tested for the coronavirus, her husband grabbed a bite to eat and climbed back in the car. He parked right outside the hospital. That's where he remained for the next four hours, watching on his iPhone as his second daughter came into the world.

"I made the best of what I was given," Billy told Insider, "a small window into what was going on."

If the Scheers' daughter, Sarah, had been born even one day later, the New York City couple wouldn't have been prohibited from being together in the hospital.

emily scheer
The Scheers.

Emily Scheer

A number of hospitals in New York briefly banned partners from delivery rooms due coronavirus risks

On March 22, New York-Presbyterian Hospitals, a network of 10 hospitals in New York City, announced that it would ban all companions from the labor and delivery rooms in order to protect healthcare workers, hospital staff, and other patients from additional exposure to the coronavirus. A number of other New York hospitals followed suit.

The decision was made even though the World Health Organization said that a woman should have a companion with her while delivering during the pandemic.

At that point, Emily was 38 weeks pregnant and terrified of giving birth without her husband there. She wrote an op-ed for Insider, beseeching the state to extend coronavirus testing to a pregnant person's support person, so that they could be in the delivery room, too.

About 24 hours after the Scheers' daughter was born, Governor Andrew Cuomo's office effectively reversed the hospital network's decision, issuing an executive order requiring hospitals to allow birthing women to have a companion by their side.

pregnant woman pregnancy expectant expecting first second third trimester fertile fertility mom mother parent maternity baby birth labor cox 4
pregnant woman pregnancy expectant expecting first second third trimester fertile fertility mom mother parent maternity baby birth labor cox 4

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

When Scheer got up to the labor and delivery ward, she said she was struck by how clean and empty the floor was. She was grateful that she stuck with her doctor and original birth plan, and felt that the hospital staff extended "extra sensitivity" to her. The Scheers had come to terms with the fact that being apart was important for the wellness of the staff and their newborn.

Emily happened to have been treated by an all-female medical team. "There was definitely a woman power vibe in the room," she said.

Billy said the doctors and nurses also put him at ease.

"The nurses were saying and doing everything I would've done," Billy said. "I was happy to take a backseat."

At the same time, Emily acknowledged she was fortunate that her delivery was uncomplicated. Her labor progressed quickly and she ended up pushing for just 18 minutes. The baby was born healthy and neither of them tested positive for the coronavirus, which meant they were never separated.

Emily was able to go home after spending just a day at the hospital. Her husband met the baby in the hospital lobby on Sunday at 1 a.m. when he came to pick up his wife and newborn.

Emily admitted that she likely would've felt differently if this had been her first child or if a difficult medical issue had come up.

Emily Scheer

Some OB-GYNs disagree with the decision and say any extra person in the hospital raises risks of infection

Research shows that a woman and her baby could have improved outcomes during and after childbirth, if they have the continuous presence of a support person. That means a woman is more likely to give birth vaginally, have a shorter labor, and is less likely to use pain medication.

A companion can play a critical role in advocating for a patient, especially at a time when maternal deaths are on the rise in the US and when healthcare workers are stretched thin due to the pandemic.

But many OB-GYNs say that while prohibiting partners from the delivery room could take an emotional toll on patients, it's critical considering the increased risks for infection.

"The decision to prohibit all visitors from hospitals must extend to obstetric patients as well, as difficult as that is," Dr. Theresa Linsner, an OB-GYN in New York City, told Insider. "The presence of a support person for laboring patients is a luxury we cannot afford in the midst of the epicenter of this crisis."

Scheer said the loss of not having her husband in the room will likely stay with her. But she realized during the delivery just how strong she was.

"She's a warrior," Billy said. "She went into something alone, that is scary on its best day."

Read the original article on Insider