Long hospital admission due to pregnancy complications

[Oatmilktea]

Due to pregnancy complications (placenta previa and vasa praevia) I am going to be admitted to hospital from 32 weeks until delivery (planned for around 36 weeks).

The longest stretch I have done in hospital is two nights which felt awful! Whilst I will be grateful to be in the safest place for me and baby, I feel sad that I’ll be away from my DP and dog during the last weeks of pregnancy, I’ll miss them and being in our new house terribly. I’ll also miss being able to lounge in the garden to enjoy the nice weather which we don’t often get in Scotland!

I’m looking for some tips or advice on how to cope with such a long hospital stay please.

I already have the essentials packed (chargers, kindles, nice toiletries, laptop, eye mask, ear plugs, will bring my own pillows etc). But would love to hear from anyone who has experience of long hospital stays! Thanks

I was in before DTs were born. It was during covid so no visitors. Routine is your friend here and you’ll settle into it. Reading, netflix, make a picture book photo album of holidays, have visitors when possible and enjoy the slower pace not needing to do stuff at work/ home.

Oh I’ll need snacks if my previous admissions are anything to go by! Breakfast and lunch are edible but the dinners aren’t great. So some nice healthy, filling snacks will keep me going.

oh wow @circumventM! I’m not sure I’m talented enough to write a book but I think I’ll maybe start a journal!

@anicecuppateaa love the idea of the photo book. I have two empty photo albums in the house that need filling! Off to order some photos…

oh your poor thing, sounds awful 🌷

write a book? i definitely didn’t suggest (or do!) that!!!

You were on a ward! That's shocking and not the norm.

Reading these replies it seems like others were on a ward. That would never happen at my local hospital you would be in a private room.

I'm very sorry you're in this situation OP but also slightly jealous!

I was in hospital from 24 weeks. This was in 1996. No Internet, no kindle, no mobile phone. I was bored out of my skull. The WRVS came round once a week with a trolley of library books and we were allowed 4 a week.

I really hope you're not too bored and that your baby is healthy and happy.

Oops, tagged the wrong poster!

Sorry you’re facing a long stay, that sounds tough! On the plus side you’ll hopefully be out for most of proper summer. Is it mad to say I’d probably get organised for the year – Christmas lists, birthday presents ordered, any holidays you might fancy planned. I’d try to stay a bit mobile too if that’s possible, yoga mat and YouTube videos? I’d also expect a private room for a lengthy stay — ask if it’s possible when you go in/if they put you on a ward.

I had placenta praevia and was in from 27 weeks to 34 weeks! Was in the 1990s and there was not much I could do but read, knit and do crosswords and word searches.
Chargers for any device is a must.

Omg this happened to me as well. After the birth of dc1 I had to stay in for a fews days and asked for some essentials. He brought me in 3 thongs all white and one lacy! And a pair of size 10 jeans...I didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Snack wise, multipack of crisps or pretzels brunch or granola bars, fun sized chocolates, haribo, crackers, apples or fresh fruit that will last a few days. Some Robinsons concentrate squeezy squash, couple of 2l bottles of water. Room temp bottle water is better than tepid tap water which is why I got at hospital. Whatever floats your boat. I would open and dispose of boxes and packaging before you go and store in toiletries bag. Get H to bring tops when he visits.

Don't forget a bathrobe or slippers. I also bought Croc flip-flops when I last gave birth to use in the showers. Oh and maternity pads. The hospitals are shite.

On the off chance you can actually get cold running water, I suggest a hot water bottle you can fill with cool water. Hospitals are always way too fucking hot.

Your own lamp if possible! Fluorescent hospital lighting is horrible. It also used to cheer me up to have a bit of a routine in the eve - doing my skincare, getting in my pjs and watching something/reading. If you are on a ward, earplugs and earbuds are a necessity. Good luck x

I was in for placenta praevia also 25 years ago. There were 4 of us in for the same thing. All in the same room. We bonded really well - no choice as we were in for 6 weeks. And we weren’t allowed visitors apart from dhs.

None of us were allowed out of bed or even to shower. They brought us a bowl of water every morning. Wheeled to the toilet and had our hair washed over the sink once a week.

Breakfast and lunch brought to us. Every evening one of our dhs would bring us in a takeaway unless we liked the sound of dinner.

Christmas dinner on a tray in our rooms with our Christmas hats on.

Honestly it sounds awful but apart from the worry when one of us would be wheeled down to theatre with occasional bleeding which did happen to each of us and luckily never an emergency.

We all made it to 37 weeks and I have fond memories of the bonding that women can experience.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and advice. I’m more or less packed for my hospital stay which is in less than 2 weeks now.

@WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout it must have been tough being in over Christmas and barely being allowed visitors! During my previous admissions I’ve hardly spoke to any other patients as they tend to only be in the ward for a matter of hours before going to labour ward or home and the last time I had a private room so not as sociable.

DPs mum was admitted with placenta previa 31 years ago now when she was pregnant with him and she is still friends with the women who were also admitted

I’m also wondering if I can bring my hair dryer and straighteners with me? I would let my hair air dry but it goes SO frizzy so would prefer my hair dryer (I use my air wrap as the dryer and can use a slightly cooler setting seeing as hospitals are a million degrees!).

My DD was in hospital for the last 4 weeks because of vasa praevia before a planned caesarian.

Just to warn you, the first 2 weeks were awful - she was in a small room with two other women who had the TV on full volume all day and had constant noisy visitors. The only respite she had was when they went outside for their frequent smoking breaks. So definitely take ear phones.

After she was found in floods of tears by a midwife she was moved to a private room where she had a much more relaxing time, although the room was very tiny with no space for the pregnancy yoga she had planned as a way of passing the time. She wasn't able to go outside - other than to a car drop off area where the smokers gathered, and, because her DH and friends were all working, she only had visitors in the evening. She occupied her days reading, watching films on her laptop, doing embroidery, eating snacks, and ordering vast quantities of baby things on the internet.

She remained astonishingly upbeat and cheerful because she knew it was the best thing for the baby and she regarded it as just something she had to get through. Baby was born safely.

I think she was very unlucky with the two women she initially shared a room with but, if you find yourself in the same position, my advice would be to make a fuss and get yourself moved if at all possible. As soon as the midwives realised how much she was struggling, she was moved, but she hid her feelings for too long IMO.

Good luck !