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.

I hated being induced Ona ward of six. Sitting in labour with everyone’s partners and kids running about. Felt like a really personal experience that they shouldn’t have been a part of. I absolutely hated that. So don’t think Yabu. I think hospitals really need to rethink the layout of wards for such a personal thing. I got my waters broke Ona ward and so did the lady across from me and she howled like a wolf after it. I just thought it was totally inappropriate for women to be bundled together like this. I can imagine the outrage if you told men they were getting their prostrate examined on a ward full of people. Somehow I think not!

It's inhuman. But it shows how women are viewed. The lowest of the low. It makes me so sad and so angry.

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 was induced with dc3 too, and was very similar in that I had a very slow early stage but absolutely shot through the latter stages. Luckily I was in hospital too as DH went to get the midwife to say we thought I was nearly ready but when she came she just swished in and out proclaiming I couldn't be anywhere near....I had the baby about 5 minutes later with just DH for company. He bounded^ to the door screeching she's having it she's having it^ and even then they were quite slow to react! Dc was fully born and in my arms before sheepish midwife reappeared.

I hate communal wards but I must admit my partner was sent home for my first induction and things went so fast, and the midwives refused to believe how fast things were progressing and he ended up only being there to support me for the last 10 minutes and I was on my own with no pain relief at all for the rest of it . I'd rather not think of the other patients abs their partners I embarrassed myself in front of because I did not handle those contractions well at all

But as for your question on the tv yes it absolutely should be a rule, it's the least they can do to ne considerate to the other people on the ward. Good luck OP I hope your labour goes well ❤

I had a bunch of twats watching action movies at full volume in a postnatal ward where 6 ladies including myself were trying to get some rest while also caring for their newborns. Half of us had been admitted the night before. The lady next to me was looking grey and barely responsive (her baby and herself got urgently moved to a room of their own later that day). The one opposite had been crying all night because her baby wasn't feeding.

I think the twats were visitors to a young mum who'd probably given birth a few days before, and seemed to be doing well, but couldn't get discharged yet because it took ages to get the paperwork ready (I also ended up staying in a lot longer than expected, after baby and me getting transferred to a room of my own due to complications... am sure the postnatal ward of hell didn't help)

So, just to say, yeah, this completely sucks, and maternity wards can be rather bonkers. If you have the energy, fill a complaint form before you leave the place.

About an hour after dh was sent away it was about 11pm or something my contractions started. I lasted about an hour and half before I buzzed the nurse and said I’m in labour and I’m in agony. She said that they don’t like delivering babies at night and gave me some super strong pain relief Tbh I’m not sure what she gave me, but eventually pain and labour stopped and I had to go through the indignity of getting hands shoved up me the following morning to try the gel again. Looking back I should have refused the tablets and went into labour anyway ...... it’s not like it would hurt them to separate the beds with baffle boards or something. It’s the same with wards when people are at the end of their life. They shouldn’t go through that indignity.

I was in the shared antenatal ward for 3 days when I was being induced (which didn't bloody work). At least I could waddle up and down the corridors of entire hospital though.

I totally feel your pain. The other women and their inconsiderate partners were the absolute worst. Music/Netflix blaring, takeaway smells wafting over, lengthy phone calls on speakerphone spouting absolute shite. Best of all was the woman who had all 8 of her children come to visit her at once and they refused to leave when politely asked at 10pm.

Once DS was finally delivered by c-section, I was put on the shared postnatal ward for section mothers. That wasn't quite as bad but still pretty horrendous. Although, the huge hormonal crash and vile midwife lead me to have a monumental crying meltdown and they moved me to my own private room with en-suite. Had I known they'd do that, I'd have cried way earlier!!!

Oh bloody hell OP, nothing's changed since I had my last, then.
Sending courage and a handhold

• give it a squeeze but don't break my arm!

Hope you're doing ok.

I feel for you op - mine was the same.

By the time I got to the main event I was exhausted.

Keep an eye on the woman opposite - when I was in having a blood pressure check the woman opposite had her baby right there and then!!!

Did not help my high blood pressure one bit

I was induced and gave birth incredibly quickly... on the communal ward that had 5 other ladies on it. Midwives didn't believe I was in labour. Ignored my bell that I had been pressing continuously. Partner was elsewhere as he was told it would take a long time. I was on my own. The other women must have hated me

Awful. The hospital where I had my children has an antenatal triage ward. A lot of my friends have given birth on that ward, in a room with four other families with just a curtain for privacy as theres not been time to get them to the delivery suite.

My waters went also on that ward, think I was stood at the end of the bed and they went under the curtain, much to the disgust of the people in the next bay. I felt so humiliated.

@bowchicawowwow that happened to me. I needed counselling afterwards.

I genuinely think that partners on prenatal wards should piss off elsewhere to call their mums and eat. I had to go to the canteen on the ward for my dinner so why weren't the birth partners made to go there with theirs? I was completely bewildered by my induction ward. The postnatal bit was fine as it was about 10pm when I was put on the ward so most others were asleep.

I really enjoyed being in a communal ward whilst being induced. I met lots of lovely people & in general everyone was very considerate. I would have been so lonely in a single room as nobody could visit me some days (I was in for a week before birth) although in the interests of transparency I do actually work in a hospital so maybe some of the sounds were easier for me to tune out! I met a lovely woman & her husband who ordered us all a dominos for dinner the night before we had our babies. I appreciate I was very lucky but I also try to make the best of a situation and am very chilled in general.

There was no room/they wouldn't believe I was in active labour (who knows which is the real reason) for me to go on any maternity ward so I gave birth in the car park. But I'd rather that than it to have happened in a small ward of other women and there partners...it just seems worse and more undignified to me somehow? Sorry OP, that won't make you feel any better.
Wishing you all the best in the circumstances.

Oh god it’s unbelievable isn’t it? When I was waiting to be induced I was next to the most annoying woman in the world who was on her phone at 3am??? And always loudly talking about how she made her husband wait for marriage and women who don’t or unmarried mothers (me!) are sluts who don’t value their bodies or something. I was so close to confronting her which I never do.

Taking ear plugs next time!

Sympathies OP. I was induced when there was a queue for delivery. High risk pregnancy, induced on a ward with 4 beds (all full, plus partners), no spare midwives and I ended up having my whole labour bar the pushing at the end on that communal ward with just my husband and 2 paracetamol. Even though my notes had 'notify consultant as soon as this patient is admitted' stamped on the front.
So scary and I felt so sorry for the other ladies on the ward who basically had to witness my entire labour. It felt like we were cattle.

I spent 3 WEEKS on the antenatal ward. Most of the other women were lovely but there were some right selfish fuckers, mostly visitors. When it came at last to my induction date, I paid for a private room.

Oh crickey, inductions do sound horrible. Bad enough being on the postnatal ward! I’m amazed at husbands being around, I thought they weren’t allowed at the moment until you were 4cm and/or ready to go to the delivery room? (Maybe this is just my hospital, I haven’t looked at anyone else’s rules)

Hope that things go smoothly for you from here and that you are soon holding your lovely snuggly baby

I totally agree. So rude and inconsiderate. I was lucky enough to have a private room. Is that an option for you? Wishing you the best of luck xx

I was induced the first time, and spent the time on a ward until I was fully dilated (not planned, the didn't realise I had dilated so fast) but I remember it well, we were all mooing like cows. I definitely felt happier in the delivery room!

@ardenjones Maybe you were in the bed opposite me! Did your husband have a broken foot?

After my c-section I had a couple loudly arguing in another language all night next to me. When I asked them to be quiet so I could get some sleep I just got an angry "we've just had a baby you know!" & then they carried on. No idea what it was all about but I felt sorry for their baby going home with them.

Well everyone I am still here. Had the second pessary. I am being monitored at 10.30 and then given third pessary at 2am.
I just keep visualising this time next year when I'll have my family complete and made a good attempt at recovering from all this!!!
Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes!