Can partner stay with you at night (postnatal)??

[AllyZ]

Im trying to understand exactly how it works and what will happen at the hospital. After your baby is born and you are transferred to a ward, what is it like? Can you see the other women or are there curtains between? How far to the bathrooms? Are there showers etc?

I understand the partner cant sleep over, but if the baby is born lets say 10 pm does that mean he needs to leave?? Or can he sit with us as long as he wants? all night?

Maybe stupid questions but trying to get the picture:)

I delivered at C&W nearly 9 weeks ago via ELCS.

DHs can stay with you on the HDU I believe (usually only post c-section unless it was a complicated delivery) and whilst you're still on labour ward, which might well be some time. However once you're on the general post natal ward, it's visiting hours only, although DHs can stay later than normal visitors i.e. until 10pm, normal visitors out by 8pm. I did hear a few DHs arrive with their partners outside those hours but in the middle of the night at least they did leave fairly quickly. More of a blind eye was turned during the day.

They bring your breakfast/lunch/dinner round to you, unlike at Kings College when I was there.

There's one shower/bathroom per six women I think.

Annoyingly yes, you do have to leave your baby unattended in order to have a shower but I think a midwife wouldn't mind if you wheeled your baby in the cot round for them to watch when you did so - depends on the midwife. But I had one offer to do that for me.

The curtains were pulled back for breakfast, but the rest of the day they were back in place - I think it was just to let some daylight through really.

I was pretty happy with my care at C&W - it was much better than Kings or Queen Elizabeth and I actually, genuinely, have no complaints. For me this is quite unusual!