I expect it is easy enough to fix your mind on your own baby if the man at the next bed is being quiet and acting considerately towards the other women and babies on the ward - the problem is the ones that don’t - some of the examples I have seen here and elsewhere on MN such as loud phone use, making suggestive comments to a patient, using the ‘Patients Only’ loo (bursting in on a woman who is trying to deal with her stitches and deserves privacy to do so, or leaving it in a disgusting state) - no-one should have to put up with this.
Far too many women have been the victims of sexual assault - and it is completely understandable that these women would feel very vulnerable and scared if a strange men was in close proximity to them during the postnantal period, when they are likely to be feeling more vulnerable - sore, tired, maybe with stitches, hormonal, trying to establish breastfeeding, and with a newborn baby relying on them.
I trained as a nurse in the olden day’s (aka the 80s) when all wards had set visiting hours, and visitors were only allowed on the ward outside those hours in exceptional circumstances. We had ward sisters with real authority, and patients, visitors and staff listened to them. We knew that sleep, and rest in a peaceful atmosphere was central to recovery, and we made sure our patients got their rest.
I do understand why people want their partner with them on the post natal ward - especially given the poor staffing levels, and the way that current midwifery training seems to ignore nursing care. If the birth has gone well, hasn’t taken too long, didn’t need intervention or result in stitches, the new mum can probably care for her own needs and her new baby - but there are plenty of reasons why the woman would need nursing care - for example - a section is major abdominal surgery, and on a general surgical ward there is no way we would tell a patient who had had abdominal surgery that they should just get themselves up out of bed, walk to the loo unaided and unsupervised and that they needed no nursing care - let alone expecting them to lift and care for a baby - but we expect women who have had a section to leap like gazelles out of bed and take on child care without needing so much as a paracetamol - because they were pregnant, not ill? That is ridiculous!
Someone who has had an epidural needs help with mobilising, until the effects have worn off and their mobility is back to normal.
Midwives are nurses too, and should provide nursing care where it is needed. And they should have sufficient staff on the ward that they have the time to provide this care.