What happens if your baby is in neonatal unit -labour ward?

[AliceHurled]

Does anyone have an experience of what happens to you if your baby is taken to the neonatal unit, or similar? Are you expected to go in the labour ward with all the mums and babies, even though you are without yours? Or is there a different room?

I was very lucky that our maternity unit has a separate little wardlet for mothers whose babies are in nicu. This meant we weren't disturbed by crying babies when we didn't have ours. Nicu was just along the corridor and it was closest to the door to the corridor, so even if you'd had a difficult delivery it was not too hard to hobble over. I thought it was all extremely well thought out and was very impressed. I stayed a week to establish breastfeeding and be on hand on for pumping. She never really got the hang of breastfeeding while we were in hospital but she only ever had my milk (the hospital seemed to take it very seriously) and started feeding well when we came home.

I was on the labour ward but in a private room so I didn't have to see happy mothers & babies while mine was fighting for his life. I don't think I could have coped if they put me in a shared ward

I was given a private, side room on the post-natal ward when ds was taken to NICU but they knew he was going to be in neonatal for weeks at least, not just for a couple of hours. I personally would have found it too traumatic to be put on the main ward with all the mothers and babies. It also gave me privacy and space to try and express milk (hard enough going) for ds.

It depends; some hospitals have separate wards for the mums whose babies are on NICU or SCBU, others will put them on the main ward with other mums and babies. At my local unit the separate ward was closed a couple of years ago, but they do try and keep one bay on the main ward for mums who don't have their babies with them.

I was also in a room off the post natal ward. I think most hospitals try to do that, like others I would have found it very hard to cope otherwise.

Liking those stories, thank you. And liking the support for feeding as that is very important to me too.

When DS2 was first taken to intensive care I was put on the maternity / post natal ward with all the other mums and babies. I was so worried about DS that I didn't take much notice, although I do vaguely remember 2 mums talking for ages about their piles!

After a couple of hours, I think it was my midwife came to get me to tell me what was happening and I sat in the tea/common room in SCBU until he was transferred. The hospital he went to had parent rooms for us which were quite luxurious!

I think it depends on the hospital, obviously the bigger hospitals have more wards to cope with difficult situations.

When I went down to postnatal the following morning, they had a side room for me, which I really appreciated - another lady who had been on the antenatal ward with me ended up giving birth at a very busy time and had to go into a shared ward on postnatal while her baby was in NICU .

DS was born at 8pm and at 1am they had to move me from the delivery room as it was needed for someone else, and put me in a 4-bed side room on the labour ward. When I woke up at 6am, there were other women in the room with me with their babies, which was very upsetting.

I found the nurses on SCBU extremely supportive and offering lots of help with breastfeeding and expressing. The MWs on postnatal also offered me some support but to be honest I rarely saw them as I spent all my time in SCBU except coming back to eat meals and sleep.

Thanks very much for those stories, really helpful. Tea waking up to that sounds awful

I was on the ward for 2 nights and then in a side room when one became available. The other mothers didn't know what to say to me because they could see I didn't have a baby.

my exp was the same as kittens
i would add you are so busy back and forward to scbu that you are not really aware of other people - they have their concerns and you have yours but i am quite glad no one approached me.i really wouldn't have known what to say.

I know how that feels a bit charade. Mine isn't born yet, but mentioning prognosis is quite a conversation killer and doesn't make me many friends. Must have been hard in the labour ward.

I was shoved in the postnatal ward with three women who had their babies with them. Tbh it wasn't that bad as they were very understanding and asked after my LO a lot.

The only time it got annoying was when all the othe babies were crying at night so I couldn't get any sleep but I was up in the neonatal ward most of the time anyway so it didnt matter too much.

The midwives were really apologetic about not having a spare side room / private room for me but there were women in those rooms who were either very ill themselves or whose babies needed constant monitoring, but not enough to justify going the neonatal ward, so I thought it totally made sense to give them priority.

I was so focused on DD that I probably could have been lodged on the A&E helipad and not minded...

I was in post natal ward after DS2 born at 30 weeks. A bit out of it for first couple of days - just kept curtains around and kept to myself. My hospital certainly didn't cover itself in glory, but I'm sure you can call and ask them what usually happens.

I'm not saying it wasn't hard but my mind was on my baby. Also I wouldn't have wanted anyone to be in my shoes so I couldn't really begrudge those other mums with their lovely babies and happy families.

After having DTs I was taken to the postnatal ward with them, but they struggled and had to be transferred to SCBU. I was on the left on the ward with the other mothers and babies. I was told that normally they would transfer me to one of the few side rooms but there wasn't any available. I know my other friend who has twins at the hospital did get a room even though she had her twins with her. I think it entirely depends on how busy they are. But they do prioritise mothers without babies into single rooms in most hospitals.

With ds I was put in a private room as apart from anything I had been transferred in labour to a hospital 3 1/2 hrs away and was on my own so was already vulnerable and scared without having to deal with the fact that I had no baby with me. I think this was really for my own sanity and so that I could wander in and out without disturbing anyone. With dd I was at my local hospital and was put in a ward at my own request as I was only there for 2 days (discharged myself as it was Xmas and I wanted to get home to my boy) and there were other peopl to chat to. I was much more relaxed with dd as I'd done it all before and was as ok as you can be with a nicu stay. I think if its at all possible they will strive to put you in a single room.

With dd I was on a ward to start with, then moved into a single room as i was a Mum without a baby. Tbh, I hated it and asked to be moved back to the ward. I felt so lonely and isolated with too much time to think. At least on the ward I could heard 'human sounds' even if I didn't want to talk to anyone. Everyone's different in how they cope, but they def seem to give priority to Mums without babies for the single rooms.

similar story here to others.... I was transferred after having premature rupture of the membranes as there were no special care beds in our nearest hospital should I need one. After being induced I gave birth and they soon realised DD would need to go to the NICU - I was given a side room on the pre/natal ward while they assessed how serious DDs condition was. As we were a few hours from home and me and DH were both quite distressed they let DH sleep on the floor in my room on a put up bed. The next day DD was transferred to another hospital as she needed major surgery.Even though I no longer needed to be in the new hospital let me stay on the postnatal ward in a side room so I could be near her and they weren't very busy. DH stayed in a hotel. After a few days I'd had enough of being on the post natal ward and went and stayed with DH as I did find it tough not having my baby with me when lots of the other new mums did. I think generally hospitals (if they have the capacity) try very hard to help you through in whatever way they can.
Are you expecting your baby to need the NICU and any ideas for how long?

when DD was in the neonatal unit I was in the normal maternity ward. I got horribly hysterical a bit upset when they put a baby at the other side of the curtain to me and they moved me into a private room. It was horrible but they did say that they try to keep mums with babies in the neonatal unit all together away from other babies.

Thanks for sharing your stories everyone, really appreciate it.

Yes the plan is my baby will be in neonatal unit, and possibly then more specialist ward. No idea how long at moment, the problem with my baby is rare so they don't know, however at the moment it looks like it could be pretty ok so might not be long at all.

I've had this looming for months now, and so need to get my head round what might happen to me. I did ring, thanks for suggesting it, and was told they do all they can to give me a private room.

I just want to say then good luck and lookafter yourself. It's very hard having a baby in nicu. I did find it easier knowing that dd was likely to be in there but with ds (pfb) it was a huge shock. You are lucky in that you can prepare yourself in a way (i realise that won't make it any better that baby is ill of course) as when your baby is sick and taken away at birth its almost as if they have died and you sort of grieve for your "lost" baby iyswim. It can be quite a shock to go into the nicu and see this beautiful little baby all hooked up to monitors and tubes and can be quite unnerving almost. I suggest if possible you ask for a tour around the nicu so you know what to expect as it will hit harder when you're all hormonal post birth. As I said it was easier second time round for me as I knew what to expect. And big (((hugs)))

They put me in a closed ward, down a corridor where no-one ever came, which was a bit weird to be honest, but not terrible! I stayed for a week then had to go home.

Good luck with everything. x

My DS was born at 28 weeks, and I was placed on the "normal" maternity ward, yes.
At first, I was really miffed, felt weird as had no baby with me, and upset due to babies all around. Couldn't afford a private room sadly.

Anyway, it worked out fine- the lady opposite me barked at the midwives on the ward to get me to SCBU to see my son (they forgot to give me a call bell and forgot to mention me on changeover too), she really looked after me, and all I got from other Mum's was absolute support and lots of very unexpected hugs too.

If you need a chat about life in SCBU, feel free to message me x

Son is now a strapping 4, about to go to school in January, some health issues but you wouldn't know it!

I heard of a woman at my local hospital whose baby was in NICU so they put her into a single room - she then begged the midwives to put her on the ward because she needed the normality of seeing other mums with their babies, and to have the chance to talk to other people rather than sitting in a room on her own worrying about her baby. So I guess you don't know beforehand what you might find best for you. All the best.

When DD2 was in the SCBU I was put in the normal ward with all the other mums and babies. Felt like Mrs Jumbo without her baby :( but all of the private rooms were busy.

But when DS2 was delivered at 17 weeks I was thankfully given a special room away from everyone else. Being in a ward would have really sent me over the edge.