To throw my hospital bed neighbour’s phone out the window

I've experienced this and it's one of the few things I feel we need to go backward to, strict matronly nurses there to slap a phone out of someone's hand when they're being so inconsiderate! I don't understand this new obsession with speaker phone either, it's absolutely annoying in a public space and selfishly cretinous behaviour in a place of recovery. Hope she shuts up soon and you can rest up, and congratulations on your new baby :)

love it!

My daughter was in infant ICU so they kindly gave me a private room with en suite. I was in for four or five days I think, daughter for two weeks. No way I could have coped with being on a main post natal ward. It was however in 2010 so think it was the bird flu pandemic so no one allowed into the maternity department at all so was relatively quiet and pre mobile phone mania.

I would have to say something OP or I would end up smacking her round the chops with her phone. It's just so rude.

Just talk to the staff (midwives, nurses, assistants, anyone) instead of posting here.

I swear if men gave birth the postnatal wards would be so much better. Not sure how anyone thinks a new mum and baby should be in such a crazy busy environment with peace and quiet. Awful. I think mine contributed to PND

I had a woman admitted at around 3am, abd once she got settled in, she made loud phone calls to 4 or 5 people on loudspeaker. I couldn't believe it.

Oh I could have written this 4 years ago!!!!! It's £70 for a private room where I am, or as long as you and baby are well, request your DAMA papers. Sending hugs, ear plugs and if needs be a decent right hook!

Few people can afford a private room. And they are not always available.

I know post natal is (generally) a happy time and mums are full of excitement and all that and want to tell everyone.

But in the interests of everyone there really could be a policy of max two visitors at a time, and all phones on silent or vibrate and no speakerphone/use earbuds instead.

Does anyone know why this is not policy?

I am older now so don't know the current drill in maternity units.

And on the bus! I feel rage coursing through my body when the bus is stuck in traffic and there is someone talking at full volume barely pausing for breath. It is always the most inane conversation too. I feel like getting my phone out and bellowing into it "Look I told you to shoot them dead, not just maim them and then run off"

Yes it's selfish

Ugh I hated being on the maternity ward.

The woman I was next to had her bed surrounded by visitors all day AND members of her family on video call.

I didn't know I could feel rage like I did and I actually told the midwife I'm scared I'll lash out.

I'm so glad I returned to normal once I was home but you've got my utmost sympathy OP cos the maternity ward is what nightmares are made of.

Oh no! Sounds very much like my experience of being on the maternity ward - I was being induced in Jan 2023, lots of monitoring, hardly slept for the four days I was there. Neighbour on her first night was talking loudly on her phone until Midnight!!! She spoke to multiple people for over an hour each. I couldn't believe it - no-one said anything, no midwife came to stop her and I tried saying something but was ignored and with the monitors I couldn't get up and take it off her. I would definitely have been tempted to throw it out like you!

I told the midwife who came to take me off the monitoring (long after neighbour had gone to sleep). The next night someone came round promptly at 9pm ordering phones off. And thank god because neighbour was just settling in for another mammoth chat!

Congrats on the birth of your baby! You have My sympathies OP, this really blows. I was fortunate to have my own room post c-sec. I’d be asking her to stfu, or requesting a midwife can do on your behalf. Hopefully not long and you will be home with your little one

When I was in hospital last month I spent a night sleeping on the day room floor - it was that or kill the woman in the bed next to me. 5 or 6 visitors round the bed from 9am to 11pm and then phone calls til 2am. It was like torture.

FWIW the last time I was in hospital (not maternity) I heard and saw the chap in the next bed be resuscitated and die. I cried. No one should have to hear their neighbours.

This is one of the things that needs to be fixed in the NHS.

Phone on silent, no loud conversations.

it will improve it unmeasurably at no cost at all.

I had someone singing at the top of their voice in another language. When I had my next baby I made sure I went home quickly! I’d ask to be moved or sent home if possible!

Incredible that someone thinks YABU!! Congratulations on your new baby. I hope you get some sleep 😴

Congratulations on the birth of your little
one.
i can completely empathise with how you’re feeling - please speak to the nurses. If that didn’t work I’d hide it and put it on silent when she goes to the toilet and pretend to be asleep! I probably wouldn’t dare to do that but I know what being at the end of your tether feels like.
I’ve just had a pack from the hospital in preparation for my upcoming operation and it explicitly states that phones must be on silent as patients should be respectful of each other.

Maternity wards are the absolute pits for this reason.

So annoying. That's a major part of the reason I had my baby at home. I didn't want to share a room and bathroom with a stranger after just having gone through labour and learning to look after a new baby.

I self discharged and when they were giving me grief as my baby wasn't feeding well I said I'd come back the next day for her, they didn't like that either.

I was 60+ hours, given both to a very large baby, had been incorrectly looked after post delivery that caused damage and had 2 hours sleep and at 2am was still wide awake.

We went home, I gave formula, we both slept for 6 hours and then I could face dealing with a baby that wasn't feeding properly (meconium swallowed plus tongue tie).

Have you used your words to ask her to put earbuds in/turn speakerphone off? Or if you really can’t face it, ask a member of staff of your behalf? Or are you just taking to MN in the hope it will get sorted?

Ask her. Ask the staff. Don’t just sit there in silence for hours on end. It’s crap OP, I’m sorry. People can be so inconsiderate. Don’t be British about it though, at least try.