What would you ideal maternity unit be like?

[Thurlow]

Reposting this from the men on ward thread, as I thought it was a really interesting discussion.

If you were planning a new maternity unit and pre-and postnatal wards what, within some reason and how the NHS works, would it be like?

I'd like a prenatal ward that wasn't just beds, but was more relaxing and had sofas and chairs for women who don't need continuous monitoring.

A midwife and consultant led birth unit that was together, so you can chose and transfer between them if you want to - so if you do decide after two days you want an epidural, you can transfer to the CLU quite easily. (Our new maternity unit is like this and it was great, I think it gives confidence to women who might want to start out in an MLU and aim for a natural birth but are worried they aren't close enough to more medical support if they do need it, which would have been me if our unit wasn't mixed).

Enough rooms that women can stay in the room where they gave birth that first night, with their partner if they want. This is also working on the assumption that a lot of women only need to stay that first night, and so a transfer to a busy ward isn't ideal.

I think a postnatal ward is probably still needed as women who need ongoing medical care presumably need to be in a ward setting, as the NHS isn't like a private hospital with enough staff to monitor everyone in a private room. But the bays need to be bigger, so you've got room to actually fit the incubator/cot in it and still move! Comfy chairs for partners as well.

Possibly some of the 4-bed sidewards are for men to stay as well, and some aren't, so catering for choice of whether you mind other men being around as well or not. But here I'm working on another assumption, that women who have to stay in for 3-5 nights might not want their partner with them every night.

More midwife/maternity staff on hand to help with the baby if you're immobile, maybe get you a cup of tea if you're feeding at night.

More lactacion advisors on hand, day and night.

More accessible kitchen areas for preparing bottles, rather than being stuck miles away from the beds (bloody nightmare in the middle of the night!)

And really importantly, more provision for women who don't have their baby with them and when it really isn't very nice to put them on a side-ward with mums with their babies.

Anyone else?

Mobile epidurals. When I was expecting saw them used on a TV programme, they looked fantastic. I ended up with a local anesthetic and ventouse, not very mobile at all.

capsium I had a mobile epidural, it was fantastic, I was moving around the entire labour. It was the only sort of epidural offered and I didn't know much about them, I was expecting to be sitting in bed pain free drinking tea after my epidural, it was a bit of a shock to still feel the contractions but I had gas and air and it was the best option in the long run as ds was 10 pounds and I don't think he would have been born vaginallly if I hadn't been upright and moving most of the time.

Hmm, yes ikea hence the ventouse, although still vaginal delivery.

Although my favourite is the use of a transporter like on Star Trek....

There were moments when I was crying and saying "it's not working! I just want to sit in bed and drink tea! That is what they do on one born every minuite sob sob sob"

Mine would be just like the one I'm on now, with a lower patient:staff ratio so that these lovely women who run it could get to do the jobs in the way they want, not in the way they do now, rushed off of their feet, trying desperately to give everyone the attention they need whilst doing tonnes of paperwork and managing to get the breaks they deserve.

The maternity unit I gave birth in is quite new and does have a MLU and CLU under the same roof which i think is great as it leaves the options for women wide open. It also has mostly private rooms in the post natal ward which I loved as I was left alone to get to know my baby but with the security of knowing the midwives were on hand if I needed them. And the bliss of having an ensuite shower room! Delivery suite also had lots of windows...I spent many hours staring at a crane, wondering if the person operating it could see me.

The ky think I would have liked tat want available was a private room for my induction, or at least a cubicle big enough to move around in. I was induced at about the same time as 3 other women. Mine progressed more quickly and I'm sure I drove them mental with my constant shuffling around, on and off a birthing ball and then sucking on gas and air and giggling like a loon at my own very bad Darth Vader impersonations while they were tring to sleep. I know I'd have been ready to kill me if I'd have been in their position.

And more midwives on wards goes without saying. Although I was very lucky to have one all to myself for the 12 hours that I was in active labour.

Currently NHS wards, at least these that I was unfortunate to witness are like barns for cattle. Each woman should have own room from start to an end, there should never be a reason for some stranger man sleeping next to the curtain and really there shouldn't even be another women near there either. It is a very personal time and privacy is a must from beginning to an end. More competent stuff that care about what happens postnatal would be just great, have a doctor stitching tears not a midwife or at least train them to do that part of a job properly. I can go on and on and on. Take a look at this video and note a very rude diminishing midwife in there. My ideal maternity unit will sure have no one like that anywhere near.

You have pretty much described how one of the hospitals near me works. The midwife even stays with you if you go from birth centre to consultant care wing and the rooms are the same ( and they have windows) Now if only I can get pregnant I can use it :)

Although my ideal birth unit would be my home.