Bloody communal hospital wards

[Liverbird77]

I am being induced. I am on a four bed ward. Waiting for the contractions to start. I've been told that delivery suite is mega busy and there may be a long wait to be transferred down, even when in established labour.
Aibu to think that, considering people are on a ward where women could either be in pain or trying to rest in order to prepare for labour, fellow patients and their partners ( not sure why they are here unless it's all kicking off anyway) should use headphones if they want to watch TV/ use phones. It's so loud and so rude. I honestly think this should be a rule.

You may need pain relief. You can stop the drip until you are in a room where you can get proper pain relief.
My friend was stuck like you for days in agony as there 'wasnt room'
That was Stoke Mandeville.

eww book a private room.

I agree but generally when in hospital the annoying other people are the least of your problems and possibly even a nice distraction

I mean effective distraction, not nice distraction.

I'm not on the drip yet, it's just the first stage, so pessary. I have agreed an early epidural with my consultant, and it's all in my notes, however it is looking like it may not happen.
@Marpan I would if I could but it isn't possible!

I could have written this post although it was when I was pregnant with dc1, about 8 years ago now. One couple had “their” TV on full blast and I didn’t realise until two hours that they’d gone off to get some food and hadn’t bothered switching it off.
My hospital switched to single rooms for induction before I had dc2 thank god.

I really feel for you! Can you take a walk around the hospital (don’t know if this is allowed at the moment).

My SIL was induced last week and her partner could not be with her until she was in a delivery suite.

So she did the early part of it alone.

Just goes to show how the Covid rules differ from trust to trust.

Good luck!

Thanks @ArfArfBarf it's ruddy annoying, isn't it?
I remember when I had Ds, only 18 months ago, I was having really horrendous contractions and trying to keep my mouth shut so as not to scare the other women.
I've had a little walk to the dayroom but that's about as far as I can go. I would love to have a walkabout but it isn't allowed.
Single rooms with en suites would be the dream!

@Crunchymum that's what I am doing. I don't see the point in my husband just sitting here for hours. You have to leave your dignity at the door here. Women in various states of undress, curtains don't close properly and random men wandering the ward.

Sounds horrible (I have had 3 kids but never been on an antenatal ward, thankfully with my induction I had a room).... postnatal wards have always been bloody grim though!!!

When our hospital built it's new maternity unit it put in all single ensuite rooms. Lovely having dd 13 years ago. We live in quite an impoverished area so was surprised we went all modern.

That's my worst nightmare. My baby is 12 weeks old now so she was a lockdown birth. I was absolutely dreading it but it was ok once I got onto delivery. Hoping things go smoothly for you

I have had 18 hours in antenatal wards with both of mine, I can't imagine doing it without my dh. Hoping this time I'll be direct to delivery ward and then private room after.

I’ve been there OP - 4 day induction with no privacy, no sleep and no pain relief on a mixed ward. It was over Xmas and they were stretched for staff. I tried to be nice, not make a noise, not make a fuss etc.

If I was to do this again I would make a bloody massive fuss.

Someone on mumsnet said a new hospital was built near them with all single rooms except for the maternity ward. Feels unfair and a bit sexist

I was in the same situation was being induced, what was more annoying was partners who stayed the night on chairs and snored their heads off. One couple kept stinking out the place with takeaways, another had an endless stream of visitors. It was very hectic! I was grateful that me and DH could go off for a quiet walk, it's a shame that you can't.

I also couldn't go down to the delivery suite for a long time as it was too busy, so laboured on the ward all through the night. It was quite unbearable and I was very aware that I was keeping all the other ladies awake! But what was worse was having some random bloke sitting literally the other side of the curtain while I dealt with it. Not nice. I feel for you Liverbird!

When I had my ds 3 years ago we were all in a shared ward bay of 4 but the midwifes has pulled the curtains round. Didn't stop me hearing phone conversations about how they didn't know who the father was. And the women next to me kept her phone of silent so every time she got a text which was a lot I jumped out my skin!
Good luck with your delivery hopefully it'll be over soon x

I was in hospital for bleeds while pregnant and often on the wards where people were being induced and it was always really busy and loud. Partners seemed to be the worst though; loudly talking on the phone, pushing back against curtains so my stuff was sent flying, blatantly listening in when the doctors came round

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.
It seems many of us have had a shitty deal. I think this needs addressing.
Woman opposite, who I can hear is in agony, has just been offered paracetamol. I take it there is quite the queue for the delivery suite!

This is partly why I'd refuse a pessary induction. Could you go home? I know people that have had pessaries and gone home for the first part.

I remember crying my eyes out when being induced at 36 weeks on a ward. There was all these overdue ladies coming in being induced and then being whisked off quickly. Mine was going so slow. In fact I was the last one left in there overnight. Went in to labour at 2. Spent 4 hours in the bath, then told midwives who rang my husband to get to the hospital. Didn't want them fussing around in early stages. Baby came at 8am

Oh god I was recently in for a week and Other People SUCK.

I genuinely thought adult humans knew to not shout conversations over FaceTime, watch loud videos without headphones and turn their keyboard tones off. I was wrong.

@SnuggyBuggy

This is partly why I'd refuse a pessary induction. Could you go home? I know people that have had pessaries and gone home for the first part.

My pessary induction was fine (as I say upthread I did have a room for the duration though!)

It was DC3. Pessary in, 22h of manageable niggles and then baby about an hour after "proper" contractions began. I went from fine, texting people to wanting to deliver so quickly I am glad I hadn't been sent away!!! I'd have probably had the baby at home.

I just know too many people who've told me not to do it because you just get left to fend for yourself in horrible pain on a communal ward and they wish they'd just waited for c sections.

Oh god. Was just thinking about DS2’s birth. I had 3 pessaries! He was not ready to come out.
Midwives wrist deep, trying to get the gel behind my cervix, with what felt like a crowd of people behind the curtain. I was in the end bed, across from the tv and sofa.
No privacy. No pain relief. No dignity.
Listening to other women labouring, leaving just in time to deliver.
Induction would be required for any further pregnancies (best case scenario- developed a high risk condition) A massive contributor to my decision not to have any more children.

It’s the worst, and it felt like forever. But you’ll be home with your new baby before you know it. All the best xx