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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Postnatal Ward Hell!

320 replies

Creditcrunch2243 · 27/05/2022 20:09

AIBU to ask if the postnatal word is actually the 7th circle of hell?

On a ward with 4 others. One has been scrolling through songs on their phone for the last two hours only listening to the first 5 seconds of each one. One couple have bought a tv pass and have the One Show on full volume, they are then making video calls over the top of the TV and rowing about why their newborn won't settle (because the poor thing is thinking wtf is all this shouting?). The poor midwives are so understaffed everything is running late, including everyone's painkillers which were due an hour and a half ago. I've had a c section and I'm absolutely boiling and for some reason the heating is on!

Maybe I'm just a grumpy old woman but I'm starting to lose my mind here! Why can't people just be quiet!

OP posts:
bananaskinny · 27/05/2022 21:31

I needed monitoring post birth and ended up staying in for 3 days- worst 3 days of my life. I came out having barely slept from the noise of everyone else's midnight international calls and not being able to catch up on sleep at home.

RainyDayyy · 27/05/2022 21:31

paisley256 · 27/05/2022 21:21

@WhoAre I'm another who'd have kissed you! The husband of the woman next to me had the TV up sooo loud, was giving a running commentary of the football to his mate on the phone and had the cheek to moan about any babies who dared cry for longer than a minute as he couldn't hear the telly. Oh and he was nagging his poor wife loudly for a blow job! Hell on earth it was. I told him to fuck off home by the end of it and got a round of applause...dick head.

Wow what a n*b of a man, you did good to say something

Original poster
Creditcrunch2243 · 27/05/2022 21:31

So it's taken an unexpected turn... I asked if there was a quieter bed free for me and one of the lovely members of staff found one. I'm still on a ward but no one has a TV on in here. Well one of the men (who should have gone home at 8) had a massive go at the midwife for letting me have a quieter space when his wife deserved one more. It's literally escalated to the point he's on the phone now demanding the midwife's reg number to get her suspended - i absolutely promise I'm not making this up!

OP posts:
Alexandra1991 · 27/05/2022 21:32

Completely agree, had my first in January and was in for 5 days and it was so awful! It was obviously during restrictions too so only had my partner for 4 hours a day. Felt so sorry for the midwives too as they were ran off their feet.

SlowHorses · 27/05/2022 21:36

Those poor midwife’s and hospital staff. Honestly don’t know how they do it and resist giving some of a patients a quick slap to STFU 🤫

CatSeany · 27/05/2022 21:37

I had so little sleep after my second c section that I started to hallucinate. 48 hours I was awake for. The ward was just so incredibly loud. Drug rounds were also quite delayed and analgesia inadequate. I was so happy to leave! Congrats on your lo.

JustKeepLookingWithYourEyes · 27/05/2022 21:37

They are the worst places ever! I’ve had 2 c sections and been shoved into a normal ward within a couple of hours of birth both times. First baby I was out in 24 hours, second baby I had to stay in for about 5 days due to minor complications with baby and they were the worst 5 days ever! Only upside was that in my area the partners have to go home in the evening so the noise during the night was just limited to 5 screaming babies 😬 if I drive past the hospital now it still gives me an awful feeling of dread 😂

cushioncovers · 27/05/2022 21:37

It's still the same then as when I had mine dc over 20 years ago. You have my sympathies op. Congratulations on your baby Flowers

TommyShelby · 27/05/2022 21:38

@Changethenamey i second the utter bliss that is birthing centres! Definitely better than post natal ward hell

Johnnysgirl · 27/05/2022 21:38

Don't the staff do anything about this? Admittedly it's been nearly 15 years since I was on a postnatal ward, but things seem to have changed out of all recognition Shock

ShadowPuppets · 27/05/2022 21:44

I had Dc2 last week by ELCS and I have never had more motivation to pee than to get out of postnatal…. Made it out with a 1 night stay, thank god. Complications with DC1 a couple of years meant a 4 day stay and it was hell.

I don’t know if this is anyone else but I find I really struggle to breastfeed when I’m too hot - large boobs, small nipples and if I get too hot/sweaty there’s just not enough - er - tautness to get a good latch. Never understood why they keep the wards so damn hot as a result.

ancientgran · 27/05/2022 21:45

Back in the dark ages when I had mine there was none of that. Sister ruled, you got into trouble if you hadn't hung your dressing gown up properly as she liked a tidy ward, babies fed, then lunch for mum and then everyone had to have a nap so a nice quiet ward. Visiting was 45 minutes every evening and and afternoon visit on Wednesday and Sunday and only one visitor. I thought it was a bit like a strict boarding school but it was quiet and you did get a good rest.

RosesAndHellebores · 27/05/2022 21:47

It's very sad that the people in hospitals and who run them.seem to think this level of dysfunction is normal for ordinary, normal women. It isn't. One can only imagine how some of the people in charge and who make the rules actually live. Not like normal functional humans I am sure.

NeurodiverseFamily · 27/05/2022 21:50

Ahh I understand completely, I was you 7 months ago - sweating my arse off on a noisy ward after a C section.

I was vomiting for about 12 hours and itching as though I had a flea infestation (reaction to the anesthetic)

I couldn't eat because of the vomiting so I was starving hungry to boot, having not eaten for about 24 hours.

I got told off by the midwife for opening the window incase the babies all froze there was more chance of them bloody melting with how hot it was

To add to it I had a (very sweet to be fair to them) couple across the bay from me with their little newborn who wouldn't settle, the husband was making cat noises "psssss psssss" for hours and I wanted to throttle him.

Postnatal wards are nothing short of hellish. Definitely not the place you want to be when recovering from major surgery.

I hope you have a straight forward recovery and are able to get home ASAP.

Congratulations on your lovely new baby!

Mrsmch123 · 27/05/2022 21:51

I think I'm one of few people who didn't mind the post natal ward. 6 bedded bay all full by bedtime. Yes the babies sometimes woke each other up but the other mums
were very considerate of each other. Couple of us had a chat in the morning when everyone was up and washed. Tbf I was only in from 8pm until 3pm and my husband was there from 11 in the morning until I got discharged.

BellaTheDarkOverlord · 27/05/2022 21:53

My only experience in a postnatal ward I was on my own in a 4 bed ward. The staff put a sign on the door saying do not enter so I could sleep by myself with baby. I'd been up for last 3 days every hour having blood pressure taken and I needed sleep. They were great. It was creepy though in the dark by myself.

soundsofthesixties · 27/05/2022 21:59

ancientgran
Sounds like when I had mine back in the 70s. Visiting for an hour in the afternoons and visiting in the evenings for the same.
Nurses took your baby away to the nursery so you could get some sleep after lunch, I was in hospital for 8 days, I loved it,the nurses were just so helpful with everything.

Beachsidesunset · 27/05/2022 21:59

Bring back Matron!

Postnatal Ward Hell!
BalloonGirlFive · 27/05/2022 22:00

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

I’m due a c section on Monday and I’m going to follow your lead on this! I had the same with my first and really struggled, two nights in labour, two on the shared ward and then two nights in my own room. The heat was unbearable and it was only spring then...... my own room was great as I had an actual window that opened!

hiredandsqueak · 27/05/2022 22:01

When I was in there was a woman with a baby who when it cried said each time "quiet baby mummy is trying to sleep" then turned over and put the pillow over her head. It was worrying as baby was her second. After listening to baby cry for hours somebody finally managed to get a midwife to come in and tell her to get up and see to the baby. We had all buzzed repeatedly beforehand.

Johnnysgirl · 27/05/2022 22:02

Beachsidesunset · 27/05/2022 21:59

Bring back Matron!

😁. Sounds like she's sorely needed!

tocas · 27/05/2022 22:02

The reason that shit like this is allowed to happen is because of the complaints process in the NHS. The type of people that behave inappropriately on postnatal wards are also the ones who complain if they don't get their own way. All complaints have to be answered in a structured manner which takes up valuable time, so staff are too worried standing up for standards will end up in a complaint and just let the patients get on with it themselves. Sad but true.

DorritLittle · 27/05/2022 22:04

With my first baby it was Hell On Earth. The midwives and patients alike were so rude, loud and unfriendly. I was out of my mind from heat, noise and lack of sleep.

With my second, everyone was just lovely and it was peaceful and airy. Different hospital, though.

Badgirlriri · 27/05/2022 22:04

Creditcrunch2243 · 27/05/2022 21:31

So it's taken an unexpected turn... I asked if there was a quieter bed free for me and one of the lovely members of staff found one. I'm still on a ward but no one has a TV on in here. Well one of the men (who should have gone home at 8) had a massive go at the midwife for letting me have a quieter space when his wife deserved one more. It's literally escalated to the point he's on the phone now demanding the midwife's reg number to get her suspended - i absolutely promise I'm not making this up!

And that’s exactly why we staff can’t demand people to keep the noise down. We get abuse ourselves. I’m really not sure what the posters saying “where are the staff!” expect us to do! It’s not like the old days when staff were seen as figures of authority.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 27/05/2022 22:07

Can you not just ask the people using loudspeaker to stop?

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