One of the State's main maternity hospitals has curtailed its visiting hours and allows a maximum of three visitors at any one time.
The Rotunda Hospital in north Dublin says it introduced the restrictions in recent weeks following a survey of patients who favoured the extra time for them to rest and bond with their newborns.
The hospital's master, Dr Michael Geary, said while some hospital users were frustrated with the new policy, it had generally been well received by patients,their friends and families.
The hospital, which delivered almost 7,000 babies last year, has done away with mid-afternoon visiting time, with visits from people apart from partners permitted only between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Only two visitors in addition to the woman's partner are permitted at any one time.
Dr Geary said the idea for new visiting times arose after staff and patients saw the benefits of restricted access during the period of the "winter vomiting bug" late last year when partners only were allowed. "This allowed more time for nursing care and the women were happy."
A survey of several hundred women found "the overwhelming majority were very much in favour of the restricted visiting. They thought it allowed them more time to spend with their babies and helped with bonding and breast feeding and so on."
The new visiting regime is significantly stricter than in the two other main maternity hospitals in the capital, Holles Street and The Coombe.
Holles Street, which changed its visiting arrangements last year, allows visits between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. for all people apart from partners. It has no restrictions on the numbers of visitors who can attend at the same time. The Coombe allows visits by relatives and friends of patients, apart from partners, from 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.