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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:
Housewife01 · 27/05/2022 22:08

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!

Oh God that's awful! How stressful not what you need when you just want peace and quiet to recover.

I'd ignore them you asked so you got moved, I bet they get that a lot with some people and they know how to deal with it don't feel guilty xx

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 27/05/2022 22:08

Oh hang on, just saw your update. Glad you've got some peace. They are obviously of the 'entitled' brigade with zero respect for anyone else. Hope you get home soon!

SlowHorses · 27/05/2022 22:09

Good on you @WhoAre 💪

Who visits their partner and new baby in hospital and thinks you know what, now is the time I’m gonna watch the football.

Highfivemum · 27/05/2022 22:10

I feel your pain. My last anti natal ward was just the same. So much so that I sat and put cotton wool in my ears. Could still hear my DS abut it turned the volume down. Trouble was one of the cotton wool got stuck and they had to get an ENT doc to remove it. So maybe not a good idea.

Buttons0522 · 27/05/2022 22:11

Yes, it’s awful. Both antenatal and postnatal wards felt like being in a cattle shed. No dignity, no privacy and full of plebs (sorry not sorry). Second born was born at home - perfect!!

Gizacluethen · 27/05/2022 22:15

PurpleButterflyWings · 27/05/2022 20:17

Must say I am surprised at you being on the main ward the after a c-section. When did you have it? I had c-sections both times, and was in a little side ward for 4-5 days after.

😳 I was on a main ward for 12hrs then kicked out before bedtime. I failed breastfeeding within days and have permanent pain from not healing properly, I think they're probably related tbh.

Thebeastofsleep · 27/05/2022 22:17

Yeah, I couldn't cope and discharged myself as soon as baby had all checks.

TabithaTittlemouse · 27/05/2022 22:18

Congratulations on your baby.

TotalRhubarb · 27/05/2022 22:19

Badgirlriri · 27/05/2022 22:04

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.

Show quote history

I think we expect decent standards and boundaries to be set, communicated clearly to all patients and then enforced with security if necessary, if they are not adhered to.

This would, of course, require direction from the top, not just expecting staff at ward level to fight the battles without a clear set of polices and procedure and management backing.

Dinoteeth · 27/05/2022 22:19

Ante-natel wards very much depend on the people with you.

With DS1 I was in for 4 days, first couple of days were fine normal mums, then I got silly bint beside me who shone her light on the dividing curtain which actually meant it was in my eyes.

DS2 I had a Chinese lady, who was making phone calls in the middle of the night. Great just what I needed!

Oliveandbay · 27/05/2022 22:20

Checked myself out 18 hours after a c-section (against advice) as couldn't stand it any longer. Had to sign a form. Just wanted to be home with my baby in the peace and quiet. So many inconsiderate people sadly.

twinmum2007 · 27/05/2022 22:21

Blimey. I had a c-section with prem twins & was squeezed into a space on a ward with 8 other mums & babies - 5 of us with twins!! The noise was incredible: not just the crying babies but the constant whirring of the beast-pumps and the snoring. Oh dear God the snoring.

KarmaStar · 27/05/2022 22:23

Congratulations on your new baby.
That sounds awful,no respect for the babies whatsoever.
Hope you are both home soon.

nildesparandum · 27/05/2022 22:23

soundsofthesixtiesand ancientgran.

My memories of post natal wards are like yours.I had both of mine by EMCS in the early 70s.Both times I was in a single room for 2 weeks which was normal after a c section then and had excellent care and help. I was seriously ill having my first DC so the first two days were a blur anyway.If I had had anything like what it is like now I would have discharged myself.
What has happened to the NHS?

Wifwolf · 27/05/2022 22:24

Hope you get some sleep in your new, quieter ward. I had a caesar with my third and was on a public ward and it was a nightmare. Unlike the hospital where I’d had my first, which was feed on demand, they insisted on waking you and your baby up if you hadn’t fed them in four hours. The midwives were also in with the lights on half the night, trying to help some of the new mums establish breast feeding. I understand that’s necessary, but given that having a newborn is a time when sleep is difficult enough anyway and given that I was trying to recover from an emergency operation and various complications related to my son getting stuck, it was utterly inhumane to shove me in a ward with others, then keep me aware all night. Used to be that an emergency caesar pretty much guaranteed you a private room and with good reason.

Wifwolf · 27/05/2022 22:27

“If I had had anything like what it is like now I would have discharged myself.”

I had a urinary catheter and a drip and I was still seriously trying to work out whether it was possible to get a taxi home at 5am. No car seat was the only thing that deterred me!

ThreeLittleDots · 27/05/2022 22:32

This would, of course, require direction from the top, not just expecting staff at ward level to fight the battles without a clear set of polices and procedure and management backing

It's not a lack of direction. The poor staff are so overworked they're literally firefighting every shift and hoping someone doesn't die. This isn't an exaggeration. They don't have time to consider noise levels.

Money for more staff is what is required.

Badgirlriri · 27/05/2022 22:33

TotalRhubarb · 27/05/2022 22:19

I think we expect decent standards and boundaries to be set, communicated clearly to all patients and then enforced with security if necessary, if they are not adhered to.

This would, of course, require direction from the top, not just expecting staff at ward level to fight the battles without a clear set of polices and procedure and management backing.

Show quote history

Maybe rather than always blaming the staff, people could reflect and take responsibility for their own actions. Why do the majority of people now lack self awareness, compassion and empathy for other people. Why are the majority of people selfish?

Change123today · 27/05/2022 22:34

My first C-section stuck on a main ward & opposite the nurse station as I was a high risk medically patient (baby was fine issue was with me) but it meant even if a side room was available it wasn’t an option . It was a hell 4 days. I’ve never felt so alone in such a busy noise ward!

2nd time around I was ready to leave 24 hours later - begged them as we only lived 15 mins away promised I would come back if any issues with me. Thankfully they needed the bed. Got actual help at home with husband! I had more complications with second csection but all managed with community midwife & GP!

Im always amazed at others behaviour & how they don’t realise the impact to others!!

RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 27/05/2022 22:38

With dd i was in hospital for about 48 hours

with ds2 i was out in 26…the women next to me snored throughout the night and i begged the dr to let me go home the nest day

you have my sympathies

and congratulations 🥳

LER83 · 27/05/2022 22:38

Had dc 1 & 2 in private rooms in birthing centres, blissfully quiet. Was not prepared for the inner London 42 bedded post natal ward hell that I had with my 3rd! Obviously it was all divided up into 6 bedded bays, but was essentially a floor of screaming babies. I was on a bay near one of the nurses stations where the babies needed extra monitoring. The noise never stopped. 8 days I was in there! Don't actually remember sleeping!

ICannotRememberAThing · 27/05/2022 22:39

Maternity wards are hell on earth OP. You are not wrong.
It is many years since I was on one but the noise, number of visitors, tv, music, HEAT was unbearable.
Thankfully, this was all before husbands were allowed to actually sleep over. That would have tipped me over the edge.
There were visiting hours but no restrictions on numbers. At least they went home eventually and things quietened down.

strawberryblue · 27/05/2022 22:39

God sounds awful.

I was lucky with first own private room because he had suspected infection

Second.. I was discharged and home 2 hour after so no staying which I was glad about!!!

RosesAndHellebores · 27/05/2022 22:40

@Badgirlriri because then people in charge, who make the rules, no longer have standards.

Maiyakat · 27/05/2022 22:41

I do not miss working on the postnatal ward and dealing with visitors! We had no support from management in enforcing the rules. Once I had told someone he couldn't come in as it wasn't visiting time (it was very early), so he went and found the matron and complained. Instead of explaining the reasons for the rules and backing me up she walked him onto the ward and stood having a nice chat with him and his wife whilst we ran around like blue arsed flies on our crazy busy understaffed ward. So calling matron doesn't always help....