NEW parents have hit out at the opening of beer gardens and hairdressers while pregnant women are left to endure “traumatic” early labours alone due to Coronavirus restrictions.

Mums and dads who welcomed little ones during lockdown say they’ve been left behind by the Scottish Government, who have “prioritised” the opening of social hotspots.

Glasgow Times:

Megan Campbell, who welcomed her third son 13 weeks ago, was forced to attend all her final prenatal appointments and the first few hours of labour alone at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The 25-year-old said: “It was horrible. I went into labour three weeks early because of the stress of the whole situation.

“I have severe anxiety and had really quick births with my older sons, Oliver and Jaxon, so I just kept panicking my partner was going to miss it.

“Greyson was my third but if that was a first-time mum, it would be so horrible to go through all that and then have your partner chucked out the hospital.”

Hundreds of punters rushed to beer gardens following their reopening on Monday.

Meanwhile, crowds are expected to flock to hairdressers and large shopping centres, such as Silverburn and intu Braehead, when they open their doors next week.

Glasgow Times:

But, Labour councillor Martin McElroy, who welcomed daughter Maria last month, has criticised the Scottish Government for not easing restrictions around the maternity ward sooner.

Currently, birthing partners can accompany women in the later stages of giving and are asked to leave shortly after the baby’s arrival.

He said: “There’s a strange sense of priorities in some of the announcements we’ve been getting. At the start of lockdown, it was all very unknown.

“It was a case of let health boards deem what’s appropriate. Home births, for example, some health boards are still doing them but Glasgow isn’t and there’s no real definitive reason why.

“I keep hearing we need to prepare for a second spike, which I understand, but I’m wondering ... people can’t attend funerals or visit loved ones in hospital but can visit the pub.”

Cllr McElroy added: “I think the pub is a very important part of easing people out of lockdown but I don’t think it would be everyone’s first priority.”

The Springburn councillor faced an agonising two-day wait after he dropped his partner off at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow’s east end during her mammoth 100-hour labour.

He attended the hospital to witness the birth of the pair’s first child but had to leave when mother and baby were moved to the maternity ward, where they stayed for a further three days as Maria was being treated for jaundice.

“Being in a situation where someone you really love is having this traumatic experience and all you can do is text or Face Time is awful,” he added.

While expectant mum Jodie Lang has also called on changes to be made as she prepares for the birth of her “rainbow baby” after her son was stillborn last year.

“I was already worried about getting through another pregnancy after we lost a baby last year,” said the 28-year-old, who is also mum to a five-year-old girl.

“This has heightened every fear. I’m going to everything on my own and I’m terrified if I get bad news again, I not only have to deal with that alone but then go home and tell my husband.”

A NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said the board was beginning a phased reintroduction of home births and apologised for not being able to offer the full range of services to new mums due to the “challenges of the pandemic”.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Guidance issued at the start of the pandemic stated birth partners could attend the birth.

“The Scottish Government has now updated that guidance and from Monday, pregnant women and new mothers will be able to have additional support for appointments and whilst in hospital after the birth.”