May 2017 #12

[savagehk]

Hi all! No imagination for a name but it was getting tight!

Up here you can't pay for a private room or anything, I'd pay any amount of money for one!

It's £150 a night for a private room at my hospital... not sure I could stomach paying that it's more that we pay for a night in a hotel!!

I think they're £70 at mine but they're massively oversubscribed! Who do you even request them through? Should I ask my consultant? No midwife any more...

Thanks bright smoke I have been added!
I'm dreading having to stay in overnight and will def be trying to get a private room (have to pay £50ish I think which I would happily pay many times over if I could guarantee one!) but also unsure at what point to ask! Will prob try put it in birth wish list

mighty I requested the private room after the birth. To anyone who would listen. And they said they'd do their best but c-sections got priority. I think I was just lucky one was free. The decision didn't seem to get made until we were on the ward itself. I originally got wheeled to a bay of two, and then the porter came back and said he'd been told a room was free.

@Brightsmoke I did follow everyone's advice and treated myself to a coffee and pastry on my way to work, had a nice lunch and did a short shopping tour incl. staff shop raid (baby dove stuff).

Ready to call an early night today 😴

The price to stay in the private rooms at our hospital is £950 a night

I was going to say I'd happily pay (£150) for a private room, but £950 is over my limit. Don't think we have the option at my hospital, it's never been mentioned, but I just want to go home asap.

How long do you normally have to stay in for a first baby if there are no complications?

I think they like to keep you 24hours lucie.
I had high BP with my first, and delivered her at 8pm, we were discharged by around 6pm the following day.

Esme thanks for the tip-might be a reason to stick with my planned CS?!

MrsJW ouch!!!! That's just crazy!! If I had that spare I think I'd rather save it and spend it on a few nights of a night nurse for when things crumble!

Ha I know Mighty. I think we could get a hotel and a nurse for less!

I've just read on the hospital info that I'll be kept in for 3 days
But they will swab for MRSA as standard so that's one less thing to worry about...

They kept us in for 24 hrs last time. But only because they were waiting to for the blood tests results to see if she was also O negative. Otherwise we'd have been out in about 16 hrs once all the newborn checks had been done.

@MrsJW15 blimey, it seems to be very posh hospital

Savage yep posterior placenta preavia is the main factor at present, but they're not too keen on the GD aspect either. I'm also a really, really very small build with a mahoosive bump so although I know that won't be a factor, I can't help but think they must look at me and think I scream 'ECLS' or forceps!

MrsJW now you're talking...weekend at babbington house with a private nurse and doula, please!

Mighty that sounds like a great plan!
Newbie I guess so! Central London as well.

Oh ok thanks wish I was hoping it might have been sooner.

Nobody watch the first 10 minutes of the 10 o'clock news on BBC1. Looks awful and the worst story we need right now.

I've just turned it off @BouncingBlueberry without fail every time I'm about to have a baby a story like this crops up.

Depends @lucieloos it could be quicker if you're both ok. I've found the waiting for the hearing test, paediatrician, discharge prescription takes forever even when you're ready to go!

Just been reading the post natal ward thread 😱 Honestly sounds terrifying! I didn't realise so many hospitals sent dads home? We have the option of a private room (if available) for around £80 which my other half wants to pay, as he gets somewhere to sleep, but even in the ward dads can stay and sleep in reclining chairs. Can't think of anything worse than having him sent away and being left on my own

Ha that makes it sound like he wants the room just so he can sleep! Main reason is en-suite and he thought I'd be more comfortable not having to walk so far/share so offered to pay!

Another small person with massive bump here. I'm pretty sure I'll have another 9lb er

Re how long they keep you, here you can go home as soon as they've checked baby, you've weed, baby's weed, ideally baby's pooed, and baby is feeding. Mine was a bit longer I think as birth wasn't that straightforward and it was a weekend so took forever to find people to sign off the paperwork. I was in one night and the balance of the night I labored (baby arrived 3am)

So I just want to go home after I give birth if it's an uncomplicated birth and no clinical reason for me to stay in (in my head the main reasons would be if I'd had an epidural or if I needed intravenous fluids). So my cheeky plan is just to discharge myself once I'm feeling up to it! I figure my own bed and DH available for one-to-one nursing has to be better than the stories you hear re post-natally wards. Midwife visits the next day anyway doesn't she?

What kind of newborn checks are they doing that you need to stay in so long? What would they do at a home birth post-natally?

Any one think of a good reason why I shouldn't do this (other than risking getting an awkward reputation )?