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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Not allowed a private room after a c-section 'for my own safety' - anyone else come across this?

67 replies

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 13:35

I'm due to have a c-section soon for DC2. Not what we wanted (homebirth!) but due to the baby being footling breech we've pretty much been given no other choice.

I didn't even want to be in a hospital at all so the thought of being on a ward full of other people for two nights is just not my cup of tea and a friend who had had a CS at the same hospital (a couple of years ago though) said you can pay to have a private room.

This sounded ideal for me and so I've asked on a couple of occasions but both times they have said no, reason being that it's for my own safety in case I have a bleed because if I'm on a ward I can be better monitored or 'tell the lady in the bed next to me if I'm feeling a bit funny' and in a private room I may be 'left alone for 12 hours or more and not checked on'

Surely it wouldn't take them more than a couple of minutes to open my door and check on me, and DP will be there with me most of the day anyway.

Am I being to fussy wanting this? I'm really dreading the c-section aftermath anyway (they are insistant I stay in two nights) and really really don't like the idea of being on a ward with the lack of privacy and the noise. WWYD? Does it sound like a staffing issue or is this usual policy? Should I just shut up and put up?

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SometimesIAmABirdbrain · 27/05/2011 13:44

I've had 3 c-sections, (2 emergency, 1 elective) and each time, the hosp has not allowed private rooms on the first night. Standard practice to be monitored on a ward. On the 2nd and subsequent nights, fine to move to a private room if willing to pay. Agree with your arguments but my guess is that with stretched staff levels, you may find it difficult to get the hosp to agree with you having a private room on the first night.

For what it's worth, I hated the noise but found it strangely comforting to be around people for the first night - the ward was for those who had CS births which meant we could all give each other sympathetic looks!

frakyouveryverymuch · 27/05/2011 13:45

Some hospitals do have this policy and it does make sense, however far from ideal it is in terms of privacy etc.

I'd just keep pushing, get your MW on your side and say if they can't guarantee your safety in a private room there are clearly management issues and you'll be taking it up the food chain. That way you'll have at least done all you can.

HarrietJones · 27/05/2011 13:49

I wasnt allowed on the first night but was for day 2/3. The woman next to me actually helped a lot as I couldn't use my crutches with a canula in & didn't get much help from (v busy) MWs

CandiceMariePratt · 27/05/2011 13:53

I had a private room for my 3rd section, I have Crohns disease so they said it was a good idea for me to have my own bathroom

bosch · 27/05/2011 13:53

I was also not allowed a private (free) room until after the first night. tbh, with both my c/s (em and planned) I needed to be in hospital more than two nights.

Also, I felt very much left on my own when in a private room - and didn't see much of MW when on a bay of four either tbh...they are v v busy and won't become less busy any time soon...

Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:00

It's not a CS ward, and they only do max one ELCS a day so unless there are any EMCS ladies it'll most likely just be me with a load of ladies lucky enough to not have had a CS. I'm pissed off enough with having to be in hospital, I'm normally very sociable but can't see me being so on this occation. Also DP won't feel as at ease visiting at any time when having to consider on a ward full of other women and babies, I'm not looking forward to a bed bath with only a flimsy curtain for privacy and I just don't see how I'm any safer on a ward behind a curtain than in a room behind a door

I really really don't want to be on a ward but it's the midwife and supervisor of midwives who have said no. I do have a meeting with them next week to discuss this and various other concerns so I feel I want to push for it. This hospital seems a bit crap at communication and information, everytime I see someone I get "oh they should have done that that last time you were here", or "oh did they not give you that test/leaflet/instruction/information last time you were here?". I've gone from wanting hardly any hospital contact to almost being there every other day over the last couple of weeks. It's doing my head in.

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Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:02

oh and now my spelling's all gone to pot, marvellous!

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BranchingOut · 27/05/2011 14:10

I originally wanted a private room but ended up having an EMCS and staying in the ward.

Seriously, it is not that huge an issue compared to the other things that will be on your mind at that time. The curtains were drawn most of the time on my ward so you were not compelled to chat to anyone else and, apart from being able to hear other people, you were more or less in your own private space anyway.

Bed bath? I would be surprised if this happens. As soon as your catheter is removed they will want you to get mobile and then you will be able to take a shower as normal.

reikizen · 27/05/2011 14:12

Madre, you do have my sympathy. It is awful to go from planned homebirth to section so I understand. However, a section is a major operation with potentially very serious consequences which can happen very quickly. In my trust we implemented the policy following a near miss with a post section woman who had a massive haemhorrage and lost a huge amount of blood, very quickly but luckily recovered very well.
Midwives are very busy, and you don't see enough of us as it is, I do worry when women are in a side room as they can easily be overlooked when you have 11 other women to care for (I realise this is not an appropriate level of care but that is how things are at the moment). We usually ask women to stay in a 4 bedded bay for 24 hours following a section, but for a good few hours of this you should be in a recovery area on your own, so you will have some private time with partner and baby.
However, we have been known to give a single room to women after a section if the baby is very ill on the Neonatal Unit but it is not ideal.
I hope it isn't as bad as you fear...

JustKeepSwimming · 27/05/2011 14:14

I had an emc-s with DS2 (also a planned HB but he was an undiagnosed breech) and went straight from recovery to a private room, no mention on H&S problems.

No chance of baby turning beforehand?

Despite being pretty anti-cs before i had one, it really wasn't all that bad.

mosschops30 · 27/05/2011 14:18

You may be washed in recovery depending on the time of your section and how quickly it takes them to get you to the ward.
I was told to get up and shower the following day.
Why would your dh be uncomfortable visiting? I dont really understand that.

Its not the done thing to put post op patients in a private room (unless you are a private patient in private hospital where the nurse ratios are higher)

I think you may be overthinking it, its just one or two nights out of your life.

Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:18

yes they've said they don't clean yo up in the operating theatre, so I'll be wheeled back to the ward caked in blood and then I'll have a bed bath

CSs are done early morning and catheters and canulars not removed until at least mid-afternoon apparently

(thankyou for all your responses and apologies for being so arsey)

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Tif · 27/05/2011 14:20

Hi everyone, am pretty new to writing on here.
I had a emergency c-section and a room came up a couple of hours after I'd been in the ward so I grabbed it.
Had I known what would happen, I wouldn't have. My boyfriend was asked to leave at 8pm and then they never came back. They completely forgot about me and the no-one told me the buzzer was broken. It was so scary as I did not know what I was doing and my little girl was throwing up alot, No-one bothered to explain to me this is normal. And I was chained to the bed by the catheter. I could hardly get her out of the little cot thing without pulling the catheter cord. I didn't realise I was doing this and that it was ripping everything below and consequently I started peeing blood. The look on the midwife's face the next morning when she saw us, I won't ever forget nor the extra pain I endured since my wound was horribly infected and they had to rip off the bandages and clean it. Ended up a week in that hellhole.

take care if you do and make sure they know you're in there

cordyblue · 27/05/2011 14:22

I had a private room after a c/section. I had DC at 11.30pm, was in my room an hour later. I maybe had one check (?) through the night. I remember cuddling DC through the night - and nobody argued with me about co-sleeping. Nobody came in the morning though until DH came at 9am and found me some breakfast himself.
That wasn't really counted as a 'night' but I did stay in one more night and then was gone by 10am the following day, after I was forgotten during breakfast again. I had to discharge myself officially. Didn't bother me.
I'd never not have a private room with a bathroom but then I am a bit of a princess I had a good reason to and so my consultant requested it herself.

quietlysuggests · 27/05/2011 14:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LiegeAndLief · 27/05/2011 14:26

I also ended up with a planned cs after initially wanting a homebirth and to not go anywhere near a hospital so you have my sympathy.

However, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected (and I was in for 4 weeks! - not cs related). I had to be on the obseravtion ward for the first night, although I had ds at 5:30pm and was on a morphine drip all night so I could have been on the moon and wouldn't really have noticed, and the second day was moved to the normal ward. Yes, it was a bit noisy, but I think I actually preferred being on the ward to a private room - maybe I was just lucky but the other ladies were lovely and we all helped each other out a bit. Certainly no bedbath - cannula out and sent to shower on my own!

Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:27

"its just one or two nights out of your life" - yes, and probably the most painful/uncomfortable/undignified nights of my life. This is the same as I'm getting from the hospital, a kind of "chill out love" response. Well I'm sure it's all very routine for them and they do it everyday but I don't!

DP won't be uncomfortable visiting a ward, but he will be less comfortable than if it were a private room as he will have to consider the other women (just as I'll have to put up with the other families and visitors). We're both very private people and just won't relax.

I had never heard of this policy before but going by the posts on here it does sound like it's more common than I thought

OP posts:

fifi25 · 27/05/2011 14:29

I think they will just pull you in and put the curtains round. I done 3 hospital births and been on wards and it fine. They wont bathe you in front of everyone. Its quite nice being able to talk to the other woman and have a nosey at each othes babies. Everyone been through the same situation be it c section on vaginal birth and i dont think anyone will gaupe at you.

Honestly its not as bad as what you think it will be

fifi25 · 27/05/2011 14:31

Sorry for the typos someones been eating chrisp whilst on the laptop again

Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:34

good god fifi I should hope they won't bathe me in front of everyone!!

I was on a ward when I had DD so I know what it's like, tbh I hated every minute of it and couldn't wait to get back to the privacy of my own home, and that was with a straighforward vaginal birth with not even any stitches, so I imagine I'll like it even less after a CS

I'm sure it's all very lovely if people want to chat and nosey at each other's babies but it's not for me. And I don't think anyone will be gawping at me, I'm sure they'll all be busy with their own babies, but privacy isn't just about people not looking at you

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Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:35

Tif sounds like a horrid experience for you!

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diyqueen · 27/05/2011 14:35

I was on a ward after my ELCS recently (also breech) and it wasn't that bad. I dreaded the whole experience beforehand, much like you, and was even sort of in denial convinced the baby could yet turn and had horrendous nightmares, but in the end it was a lot better than I expected. Yes being in hospital was grim, but to be honest it all passed in a blur and I did find it comforting having a bit of company sometimes. Being on a ward actually made me feel better about the cs as I was in a lot better state than some of the other mothers on the ward who'd had forceps deliveries/retained placentas etc, or whose babies had to spend time in special care because of delivery complications. I'm normally a very private person but strangely in hospital I just stopped caring so much - think it was a sort of 'survival instinct' and I knew it was all necessary. The staff were mostly considerate of privacy though and I never had a bed bath - had a shower the same evening as the op - and you could pull the curtains round when you wanted privacy and that would be respected. I remember all too well how I felt beforehand and have every sympathy, but I hope your experience is like mine and not as bad as you're expecting.

Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:38

No private maternity hospitals near me unfortunately (and not sure we could stretch to the £thousands required!)

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Original poster

MadreInglese · 27/05/2011 14:41

No chance of baby turning now - two failed ECVs and it's not budging so they think there's obviously a reason why it's breech awkward little bugger and don't want to force it

I guess if I go in anticipating the absolute worst then I can only be pleasantly suprised, no?

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shelley72 · 27/05/2011 14:42

ok didnt want to read and run. i was in same position as you a year and a week ago. DD was footling breech, we too had planned a homebirth - i had tried with DS but ended up being transferred in to hosp as he was stuck, so i had my heart set upon a homebirth second time around. was devastated when i was told DD was footling and after a failed ECV was booked in at 38 wks for a section (against my wishes really) as it was too risky to go into labour naturally.

i too wanted a side room - i hate hospitals, was v grumpy but we werent offered at our hospital.

however i have to tell you, honestly. the section was nowhere as bad as i was expecting. my CW came in with me as did DH and although it wasnt the birth i dreamed of, DD got here safely, we had skin to skin and she was feeding within 15 mins of delivery (and still feeding now).

the aftermath again was much easier than with DS. i was in hosp overnight - DD was born fri lunchtime and i was home sat teatime, so in the end a private room wasnt really an issue. i was on a ward with small bays - me and another lady who had a breech section and you could pull curtains - privacy wasnt really an issue. DH and DS stayed until about 9pm and then were back within 12 hours! i think they would have liked me to stay another night but i had DH at home and i felt well enough so they let me go. you may be out sooner than you think depending on time of op?

so really just wanted to reassure you that it wont be as bad as you are expecting.
good luck!

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