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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Did you have a private room for post delivery?

104 replies

ColdCottage · 17/06/2014 12:10

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

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theborrower · 20/06/2014 21:04

Hmm, i think I'll be asking my midwife about this next week!

I found the 3 night/ 4 day stay after my EMCS a mixed bag - first night was worst of my life, no sleep, baby not feeding, me crying whole time, other people's babies crying whole time, bloody roasting, and the midwives chatting at the station right outside the door. But by the 3rd night it was much quieter and we all woke up fairly refreshed and chatted, and agreed we'd had a good night.

The husband of the CS woman in the next bed to me pissed me off though - brought his other kids half an hour before visiting time and had a huge argument about it while midwives tried to explain the importance of visiting times and that we all needed rest etc. I had just expressed for the millionth time and been looking forward to half an hour of peace before visiting time because I was knackered. The selfish prick.

Original poster

ColdCottage · 20/06/2014 22:47

I wish I had known you could ask for a private room (for free if the have one) before my first baby.
Now I'd ask for a freebie and if no luck I'd just pay. Sleep is priceless.

OP posts:

SoonToBeSix · 20/06/2014 23:57

The borrower if don't understand how you can rest without your partner with you. I was lucky in for ten days with my dh.

Heels99 · 21/06/2014 00:00

You can rest without partner be cause medical staff will help you. I was in for a month and my partner wasn't in with me at all, he was at work!

SoonToBeSix · 21/06/2014 00:04

Ha ha not in my local hospital they don't heels.

Original poster

ColdCottage · 21/06/2014 00:51

Heels now did you not go crazy in for a month??

OP posts:

theborrower · 21/06/2014 08:00

soontobesix how do you mean? He couldn't stay in the hospital overnight.

He was there the first day and last day, but was back at work for the couple of days inbetween and could only make it intermittently then. I wanted him to start his pat leave when I was going home because I needed more help at home.

geekaMaxima · 21/06/2014 08:13

I had a private room with en suite in the small standalone birth centre where I had ds. No postnatal wards at all there. Twas great and meant dh could stay with us overnight after a long labour instead of being banished home.

The private rooms instead of postnatal ward was a major reason why I opted for the standalone birth centre instead of the massive MLU in another nearby hospital.

CheerfulYank · 21/06/2014 08:18

Here (in my part the US) you do everything in the same room...deliver, post-delivery, etc. And it's private with its own bathroom and bed/couch thing for the partners.

There wasn't any other option.

Rowingdowntheriver · 21/06/2014 08:22

For my first 2 I stayed on the ward and my experience was similar to the OP. For my third I had the chance to pay for an 'amenity room' (private room with ensuite) and it was really worth it for me. It was £150 per night and I had it for 2 nights. If I had had to stay in longer I'd have moved into the ward for the rest of the nights and couldn't justify the price for any longer.

It was lovely to have privacy, more flexible visiting hours, a private bathroom, be able to sleep properly and listen to my audio book with no headphones and know I wasn't disturbing anyone.

Meglet · 21/06/2014 08:36

Yes, I had a private room after my ELCS with DC2. Totally worth it. I pretty much banned visitors (except for flying visits from my mum, dad + sister, who all brought naice snacks) and hunkered down with DD bf or watching the TV in peace. Buzzed for the midwives a lot and stood my ground in asking for help they hated me. I recovered well and didn't have a single problem bf. I wasn't even tired for the first few weeks because I'd had such a good start.

theborrower my post-natal ward stay with DS after my EMCS probably goes down as the worst experience of my life too . 8yrs on I still feel shaky thinking about it. The noise, disruption and feeling of being so exposed and vulnerable with a newborn was awful.

hairypaws · 21/06/2014 08:41

I was incredibly lucky as I had a room on my own from start to when I left with both of mine (was actually the same room both times) in an nhs room. I've never really thought about it not being the norm as it's the only experience I have had but I guess I was actually very lucky by the sounds of things.

NotCitrus · 21/06/2014 08:59

I was given a free private room as I was in a wheelchair and had interpreters with me. Stayed 3 nights as ds was put on antibiotics.

In contrast to most people here, the second time round in the same hospital I decided to (if I couldn't go home) be on the main ward and manage the night without a terp. This was because of being neglected the first time and the staff admitting that they ignored people who had people with them to help, and being in a room with just ds and a non-nurse freaked me out when I couldn't get out of bed.

There were 4 women inc me and 5 babies in the room, and I swear at least one was crying every couple minutes until 6am when nurse rounds started, but did mean staff were in and out every couple minutes anyway and they were wonderful at checking I was ok and passing me dd whenever she squeaked. I doubt I'd have got any more sleep alone given I had a newborn.

There was a funny moment though when one MW asked why I hadn't drunk the lactulose left at the end of my bed - I said it was out of reach and given it was put there by the woman who removed my catheter, I thought it was a urine sample as I couldn't understand a word she'd said. MW eventually tasted it to confirm it really was lactulose!

ScrambledEggAndToast · 21/06/2014 09:15

I got lucky and had a private room. At the hospital where I gave birth it was basically pot luck what they had available at the time and I got lucky. It was really lovely. I still remember being taken down at 3.30am after a 23 hour labour and even though I was exhausted, I stayed awake until 7am until he woke up watching him sleep. I wouldn't have had that lovely experience if there had been loads of noise and disturbance.

EssexMummy123 · 22/06/2014 00:19

I asked about this and was told in the delivery room that it was only for ladies that couldn't have their babies with them - e.g. special circumstances. So i didn't sleep at all for 3 days, whilst OH went home for sleep and chinese takeaway - hhmm.

Original poster

ColdCottage · 22/06/2014 10:35

Essex, that seems a little unfair. I hope your hubby at least sneaked you in some takeaway.
I guess it does depend on the size of the hospital.
I wanted to transfer back to the cottage hospital I started in which I could have done, but with only two beds they were full.
I wanted their support with BF as I'm a first time mum.
In the end I came home to my own bed and my neighbour friend who is a MW came over and helped me which was so nice. I felt very lucky.
I would still pay for a private room just for the 12h or so I was on the ward though if I could do it over.

OP posts:

Heels99 · 22/06/2014 13:34

Coldcottage, yes I did go stir crazy after a month! I was encouraged to go out for dinner with my dh every night bizarrely, we had a 2 hour window to go out and get back. I was attached to a machine that I took with me. Seems farcical now.

Original poster

ColdCottage · 22/06/2014 13:58

Heels that must have been so stressful as well as slightly surreal.

OP posts:

Heels99 · 22/06/2014 14:05

I did go a bit crazeeee at one point and had a rant that it was like Guantanamo bay and I wanted them to transfer me to a different hospital. Bit I had been nil by mouth for 15 hours whilst trying to bf twins and was also ill at that point. Happy days!

VeryDullNameChange · 22/06/2014 14:06

Overnight after DD (EMCS) I was put in a one person room, and since they were closing down the maternity service in the hospital I then had an entire Nightingale ward pretty much to myself, which was nice but a bit scruffy and lacking in basic equipment.

With DS I was in a 4 person curtained ward and I found it very quiet - too quiet if anything. My only problem is that it was a bit hot and airless (August) so I liked to keep the curtains open around my cubicle to get a bit more air in, and the officious nurses kept closing them "so I could have privacy for feeding" - which, as a competent second timer, I neither needed nor wanted - obviously I needed privacy for changing my clothes etc, but not for a simple bf.

TheScottishPlay · 22/06/2014 14:15

DS came 6 weeks early and was in NICU. It was torture being in the ward with all the mums and babies when I wasn't with mine.
Staff then offered me a room of my own and it was lovely. I had lots of visits from staff to check on me and they got away from the madding crowd for a bit.
It made a rather shocking (but wonderful!) set of events much calmer for DH and me.

Original poster

ColdCottage · 22/06/2014 15:14

Poor you Heels. Glad you made it through. How old are your twins now?

OP posts:

Impala77 · 22/06/2014 16:51

I had a horrible induced labour and forceps delivery.
I was a total mess, crying and distraught.
I was put on a ward with other mums, my hubby left to get some sleep and I was inconsolable I felt alone, robbed of the labour I wanted and embarrassed as I was the only first time mum.
My husband on his return begged them to put me in my own room, thankfully they weren't too busy so I was moved to a room on my own for the 2 days I was in. It was a god send as I would have just spiralled into despair.

museumum · 22/06/2014 17:03

I gave birth in a mu where the recovery ward was 4-bed but kept dark and quiet and calm at all times. It was bliss.

Unfortunately in was discharged but ds was not so we were moved up to the normal ward while waiting for the results of his cord blood (as I'm o- and he is a+). It was hell up there!!! Bright, noisy, busy, nobody else bf-ing...

Impala77 · 22/06/2014 21:47

It's horrible, you go from being in a labour room surrounded by doctors, midwives etc to being dumped on a ward alone with this baby that you have no idea how to care for! (1st time mums that is).

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