to want some peace and quiet on the ward?

[vodkaredbull]

It's 3:30am and I'm losing my mind.

I was admitted to antenatal yesterday morning for induction. So far fuck all is happening and I'm exhausted. In a stupid amount of pain and all I want to do is sleep.

But of course that's not going to happen is it? I'm in a bay with two other beds. Across from me is the snorer but really I could probably block her out. The problem is the other patient who is surgically attached to her fucking iPhone. It's the middle of the night and she's ringing all of her friends for a chat. Who does that when people are trying to sleep?! I don't give a fuck if she's missing a party to be induced. I want to enjoy the totally useless paracetamol they've deigned to give me and try to get a little rest.

The midwife isn't helping much either. She's rather old fashioned and I'm surprised she hasn't locked us in. I tried to go for a walk to escape iPhone girl and she escorted me back to bed.

AIBU to expect a little peace and quiet in here? Seriously losing it right now.

[WhatTheActualFugg]

OP you can request a section any time you like. For some time now NICE have made it clear that women are free to make their own choice.

Whether or not you'll be listened to, or the surgeons etc are available is another matter.

[whois]

Sorry OP :-( hope you're hanging in there

[vodkaredbull]

I'm going to try if I can find a MW. The idea of 6 more hours of Prostin followed by another night without pain relief is more than I'm equipped to handle.

[Jibberjabberjooo]

Pitiless I didn't realise you were a doctor. You sound lovely and thoughtful. Please come and work in paediatrics!

OP I hope things start happening for you soon.

[girlsyearapart]

Hope you get some rest soon.
Once when I was admitted to hospital - non baby related - someone was admitted to the ward after inhaling a biro while using it to take drugs (who knew..?!)
Anyway the person was horrible shouting and swearing and threatening the staff. I didn't feel safe and said I wouldn't stay there.
The nurse on duty had a huge panic about it and said he would get into trouble so I made a deal with him that I would come back by a certain time in the morning. Dh came to collect me
Maybe you could do that ?

[2ManySweets]

Health and Social Care Act 2012, section 75 (1b) - you are allowed to exercise the right to "patient choice" - so time to get "firmer" with folks. You need to be honest, talk about your exhaustion, and say you've had enough now and that you want to move this along.

BE FIRM (and use no swears).

[WhatTheActualFugg]

An exhausted mum can't give birth very successfully. IMHO

[Runnerd]

When I was being induced, I'd been fully briefed by my midwife, spoken to friends, read MN and was fully expecting it to potentially take several days. Unfortunately the lady in the next bed seemingly thought you popped a gel in and an hr later you got a baby. Her dh was ranting and raving about how unacceptable it was that his dw was in pain and how long it was all taking which started to grate somewhat but I did have to chuckle at "The waiting time is outrageous, especially as I'm a higher rate taxpayer"

Well if you want better care because you're a high earner, get your cheque book out and go to bupa. Otherwise be quiet and wait your turn for the underfunded, overstretched, free service.

[YesICanHearYouClemFandango]

I feel your pain. I had an EMCS and was in for 3 days. It was hell. I didn't sleep at all the whole time I was in. I nearly lost my mind. It's actually putting me off having another baby. A few months before, there was a tragic story in the news about a lady who left the hospital shortly after giving birth and jumped off a roof. I remember thinking that I totally understood how she felt. Which is quite worrying. I spent a lot of time sobbing, and nobody did fuck all. One of the midwives actually said in a jokey way that every time she saw me I was crying. Didn't ask me why or anything, just said it and then buggered off. I'm quite angry about it all now actually.

Hope you get some sleep and have a much better postnatal experience

[PennyHasNoSurname]

Oh god the having to share is awful isnt it!

I went into random early labour, had steroids and eventually cxns stopped but they insisted on keeping me in. I was put into a ward with a snorer and it was like a freight train going oast every 30 seconds.

In the end I dressed, packed my stuff and left, with the pro ise that if I started contracting id return. I called a cab and was in my own bed within 20mins. Bliss

[Whatdoidohelp]

Refuse the next gels and ask to see a doctor. Don't be fobbed off, with so little sleep there is no way your going to be in any fit state to manage labour and birth. If there is no dilation with gels so far your perfectly entitled to refuse.

I feel for you. The postnatal ward for me was traumatic. I

[alltouchedout]

Oh god, I remember this. My teeth are actually gritted just reading your op, so strong was the moment of getting no sleep whatsoever between being admitted for induction on the Monday morning and discharged with 3 day old ds1 on the Friday morning. Part of the reason I insisted on homebirth with the next two is the memory of the appalling noisy, hot, bright hospital environment (and the annoying bossy members of staff- mist are lovely but just one overbearing eejit can make a stay on a ward horrible).

[alltouchedout]

*memory, not moment

[Woobeedoo]

After I'd had DS I was wheeled into the ward to 'sleep'. I kept so quiet so I wouldn't wake the other mums and their newborns (it was 1am after all) but I got not a jot of sleep due to one woman snoring like a drunken sailor, the midwives at the nursing station chatting so loudly and banging crap about and one woman who had an alarm go off on her mobile every 20 minutes. Oh, and a woman in the birthing unit screaming "get this fucking baby out of me, it huuuuuuurts" from the moment she went into the unit until the baby arrived.

I eventually fell into a zombie slumber to be woken by screaming woman having had her baby ringing every single one of her friends telling them "yeah, I had it. She's fucking ugly. I ain't touching 'er" (her baby was gorgeous btw). Before we were allowed home the ward almost went into security lockdown as her husband had stolen money off someone and they were threatening to 'bring the gang round' - the gang being 8 cage fighters (all conversations conducted bizarrely on speaker phone).

If I ever have baby number 2, ear plugs are bring packed and a private room being booked.

[bumbleymummy]

That sounds like a nightmare! Hope you've managed to speak to someone or that you're in established labour and well on the way to meeting your little one! :)

[Flamingo1980]

Ask for some earplugs. Sorted.

[Pastamancer]

Why are they insisting on pessaries? When I was induced they broke my waters and put me on the drip. This was with both DDs, I've never had a pessary. DD1 I was finally admitted after 3 days of constant contractions but I wasn't dilating. I managed to reach 1cm after those 3 days so they put me on the drip. With DD2 my waters went and I hadn't got into active labout after 24 hours so on the drip again. DD2 was born after 4 hours on the drip

[trian]

i had to ask 2 patients to "be quieter" when i was on a surgical ward, one of them tutted but they both shut up. I'm really good at sleeping and getting to sleep so if it disturbed me, it would most likely disturb most people. Who the FUCK do people think they are, disturbed the sleep of ILL people. So, so rude. If she kicks up a stink you can tell her that all these people on mumsnet agree with you. This is why there should be staff in every bay on a ward, so you don't have to deal with this kind of shit, especially when you're preparing to give birth. Absolutely not acceptable. Good luck with it all xxx

[vodkaredbull]

Uterus update: baby is back to back now. Giving me more codeine and then deciding what to do with me.

My noisy friend isn't going anywhere tonight so I've asked DH to bring me earplugs. Also got a bit upset and had a cry to one of the midwives. If they can move me to a smaller bay they're going to!

[Pastamancer]

DD2 was back to back and turned during labour so fingers crossed yours will too.

Have they mentioned breaking your waters or using the drip?

[bumbleymummy]

Fingers crossed they can move you!

[vodkaredbull]

It depends on the next internal exam and they'd like to get me out of pain a little first.

Hilariously upon hearing this my noisy ward neighbour kissed her teeth and said "pussy" under her breath!

[Finola1step]

I really feel for you. I hated being on the post labour ward due to noisy, selfish people.

[Naoko]

That's outrageous vodka. Tell them she's now being actively abusive as well as antisocial and you need them to move you. It's not acceptable.

[Pastamancer]

Brooking that things get moving for you ASAP. If you had a ball you could bounce up and down on it imagining it is noisy cow's head