Did you have a private room for post delivery?

[ColdCottage]

I couldn't wait to be discharged from the large hospital I delivered in. The delivery service was great but once on the ward (4-6 women per room) it was crazy.
People buzzing every 5 mins 24h a day (myself included), babies crying and having no idea if it yours as top soon to know own babies cry so having to check every time so no sleep.
Women crying day and night. Boiling hot and generally not a very relaxing place to be.
I arrived on the ward at 2am and left by 1pm as was too much for me.
We don't have a lot of money but would think of paying for a private room next time and recommending one to any of my friends who were expecting.
If you paid for a private room was it worth it?
I don't have a lot of money but

Yes I did. Best money I ever spent! Though they did forget about me. Didn't check on me or DD all day but apart from that it was great!

Assuming you and baby are healthy, why not just go home instead?

After having DD, I had a shower, got dressed and went. Think I was home 2 hours after birth.

I wish wish wish I had! I didn't know about it until day 3, and they had no rooms vacant by then. Even if I had got one night it would have been great. Highly highly recommend to anyone staying over night for more than one night.

I had my own room both times. I asked on my birth plan, and it was entirely dependent on the medical needs of other mums. No charge.
It does make it easier for you to be overlooked and alone which can be a bit frustrating/lonely if you are in for a few days.

Yes definitely worth it. After both dc I asked for a private room I think it was £80 a room or £100 for an en suite.
It was lovely and quiet just me and dc.
Actually I'm still waiting for the bills dd is 3!
Would definitely recommend it

Sometimes it's not just as simple as 'just leaving.' it can take hours for the midwives to discharge you.

I didn't pay for a private room, but I did get one with DC2. It was great and I'd definitely pay for it next time. But I agree with PP that you do get forgotten about.

I had one (all 3 times).

With dd1 and ds, I gave birth in a small local hospital where dh had trained, and so was treated as "staff" and got a private room (as there were 2 rooms, one had phototherapy and another was for CS mums but neither needed it).

Dd2 I'd been air-ambulances to a larger hospital and was in for 21 days, mainly before birth. So after birth I was taken back to "my" room until I left.

I know I've been very lucky!

We have private rooms as standard in our hospital and tbh the idea of being on a ward just feels barbaric! I loved it. Dh stayed in the bed with me and it was lovely to be just the three of us but be able to press the buzzer for support with feeding etc

Yes. Gave birth overseas in private hospital. Standard stay for first child is 3 days for normal delivery, 5 days for c-section. It was definitely worth it as got sleep when the baby slept, and could just get to grips with feeding etc without feeling confined to small cubicle. Didn't have to put up with other people's visitors and DH was allowed to stay.

My mother paid for one for me for a treat for my first child and I thought I would love it, but I hated it. I felt so lonely! I could hear people chatting in the ward next door and used to wander through to join in.

I was in th ward with number 2 and much happier.

With dd1 we paid for a private room, as that's exactly what I wanted to avoid. The noise, and bustle of other babies/new mums. I just wanted peace and quiet. Was well worth it.

With dd2, I didn't need to stay in, as it was my second dc, and a straight forward delivery, so we arrived at 2pm, dd2 was born in the MWLU at 5pm, and we were home by midnight, no room needed.

Not everyone can just leave even after a good birth.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition (mine makes me prone to clotting issues) they want to check you over and monitor you for good reason regardless of baby/birth situation.

I've heard pricings between £90 and £500 for my local place. Hoping it's closer to £90... have an appointment next week so will ask!

You often can't just leave, so forget that. Also depends on your hospital. We asked for a private room both times but they didn't have any, and it's not like you can book....

Staying in hops with babies sucks. But it's a means to an end.

I had one with DS1, because I'd had an EMCS and he was in the NICU.

I was on a 6 bed ward (it wasn't full though, I think there were 4 people in for most of the time) with DS2 for 2 nights after an ELCS.

Suspect I'll be a lone voice here, but I preferred the ward! It was nice to have other people around, and other mums to give me advice. OK, I didn't get that much sleep - but then I hadn't really in the private room either as they kept checking on me. The private room just felt terribly lonely, especially during the night.

Yes I did for all 3 my births and was lovely to have peace and quiet and was able to get some sleep. With 1st husband was able to stay over as well. Did not have to pay for my private room but in our area it's between 80-250 per night.

Red sky I wanted to transfer to lovely local hospital or of home but couldn't.

Delivered at 7pm but couldn't walk until 1am due to epidural and prior back problems. Called small local hospital at 11pm after birth but they were full.
Started to ask to be discharged at 6am but had to wait for day staff and then still took ages to push me through all checks etc.
Getting home was the best thing. Gave my sister the baby and went to sleep for 3h (from 8am Saturday until 2pm Tuesday I'd only slept 4 hours, my sight and hearing were going!). Woke up to find my darling parents had arrived.
Lovely to be home but want a plan for next time in case of a similar situation.

I had a private room with en suite, lots of MWs came to check on me and DH was my own personal servant to attend to me and prepare my favourite foods. :)

I had a homebirth. Might be worth considering if your first birth was straightforward?

I had one with DS as I wanted peace and needed space for visitors (hospital was 2hours away from my family). It worked really well. I brought a wind-up radio with me and have lovely memories of BFing and singing to my new baby.

Yes, and own bathroom for a month. I think if you only in for a few days it's fine but for longer period need own room, I didn't have to pay, I was ill and had twins.

I did, and a glad I did, as it was peaceful and I slept really well, plus they were more relaxed about visiting times/rules etc. with DH because he wasn't going to disturb anything else.

One thing to consider would be that if you have to stay more than one night and you're on a tight budget, you're suddenly having this weird conversation in hospital about whether you can afford it, when you thought you had decided and budgeted beforehand. I ended up paying for two nights because they weren't happy to let us go by the end of the first day as DD wouldn't feed.

D

Ahh... Cross posted. No epidural at home, if you wanted another this time around!

Didn't know you could ask and maybe get a free one.
Think it is worth paying if I can't get a freebie. So needed to sleep last time and didn't want DH to leave either.

Yes, but it was free, as the hospital made numerous mistakes. I also don't know that it would have been worth paying for, the interruptions began at 5.45am with the cleaner barging in and crashing about, and this continued throughout the day until well after 11pm, every day. No more restful than the wards. You also come last in the buzzer-queue.

Also, you 'can' leave, anytime you want. I did, against so-called medical advice - well, some of it. I had three conflicting opinions (ranged from 'you must have a transfusion' to 'eat lots of green leafy veg'), so I cut my losses and discharged myself.
Whether this is as easy if it's the baby who has medical needs, I'm not sure. Please never think you have to stay in those shitholes hospital, you don't, and often recovery at home is faster.

Didn't for first, because I didn't know better. It was an absolute nightmare! Constant interruptions and being woken up, night and day, struggled with breastfeeding, annoying woman in the next bed who wouldn't leave me alone to regale me with the tales of her bruised coccyx and what a difficult birth she'd had (even though I kept pulling the curtain in a vain attempt to keep her away), trying to hobble to the breakfast trolley (and missing it each time).

With second birth opted for a private room (we couldn't really afford it at the time, even though it was only about £25) but it was the best thing, really. Peaceful, happy bonding, no probs with b/feeding, breakfast brought to you, no annoying neighbours. I left hospital feeling really quite relaxed in comparison with the previous experience, when I was a quivering wreck.

Just personal experience though - wouldn't suit everyone, I suspect.

I think it depends if your hospital has private rooms that can be booked. A lot of NHS hospitals don't have dedicated private rooms, but are happy to let patients use a side room if there isn't another patient with a more pressing medical need.