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I just went for a 20 week prenatal ultrasound at Kelowna Medical Imaging, West Kelowna. Feeling nervous after several previous negative experiences with my first pregnancy, I brought along my husband as my support person. When we were called into the appointment I was informed that he could not come into the room with me. I told them that I would be happy to go in and answer any personal questions that they might have first but that he was my support person and as it is my body and our baby, I choose to have him at my side no matter what the outcome of the ultrasound. I was concerned that we might have bad news and I would be facing it alone.
They told me that I had two options, go by myself into the appointment or cancel the appointment. There are only 2 ultrasound clinics in Kelowna, both owned by the same company and with the same 'no support person' policy. Given that this ultrasound has a very limited time in which the results are reliable (about 2 weeks) and the waiting period to get in for an ultrasound appointment in the Okanagan is about 3 months, I felt that the only option to ensure I was choosing correct care for my unborn child was to go into the appointment without support. This experience left me feeling vulnerable, angry and concerned. While my husband was 'invited' in at the end of the appointment to see a few pictures, he was not there when I needed him the most, to hear about the health of our unborn child.
As you can see, this policy has been an issue in other communities, including Winnipeg (http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/03/13/no-dads-ultrasound-policy-under-review-by-wrha). In Winnipeg, the policy is under review and has been suspended due to the stress that it creates for parents, especially mothers. Recent 'ultrasound' best practices indicates that this sort of policy is considered disrespectful and antiquated.
In 2017 when we advocate for patient's rights when it comes to safety, peace of mind and respect, a policy like this is unacceptable.
Arada Eastham
