Where do you give birth?

[ellsharks]

Hi - pregnant with my first and although everyone around me has given birth in a private room, I have this irrational fear that when I go to the hospital there won't be one available, and I will have to give birth on a ward surrounded by people!

Does this happen?

Labour rooms are private, although you may start to labour on the antenatal ward or assessment unit (or at home or 101 other places) they will aim to move you as soon as possible so you give birth in private.

I started on a ward, which was fine as I could walk around, go into different rooms when I was contracting (had the urge to find small dark spaces so ended up in a cupboard a few times!) and when I was nearing the end was moved down to delivery suite, which is all private rooms.

I’ve never heard of anyone giving birth on the ward, I don’t think it would ever be allowed (hygiene, privacy etc) - they work to manage patient flow.

Ps I had a fast labour (5hours with first) and I think if they had realised how far along I was I would have gone down earlier.

I was in my own room in the birth centre. Was perfect.

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t given birth in a private room, just to add to the reassurance.

You should definitely have a private room! The only instance I've known of women not having their own room would be very fast progression during an induction, or sometimes transferring from the pool room to their own room and unable to move as baby is coming.

On both occasions I was taken straight into a private room on the labour ward where I stayed until a while after the birth.
With DC1 I then went to the ward after a couple of hours. With DC2 I went straight home from the labour ward.

MLU - taken straight into a delivery room on arrival (Wednesday 11am), gave birth in there (4.15pm), stayed in there a few hours then moved into a private room, where I stayed until going home Friday morning (expected to be moved to a ward but I guess they had the free room so kept me in it)

I think you'd only be on a ward/non private area before birth if you were in to be monitored/induced etc

I think you're getting confused with postnatal? On labour ward (for some reason our entire department was called labour ward) there are antenatal wards, but these aren't for giving birth in. They're for women in situations like you're threatening premature labour or you're being induced or you've come in to be monitored. Anyone in active labour is moved immediately to a delivery room, which is always private although may have a shared bathroom with one other room.

After the birth you're normally left for about an hour or so with the baby depending on how busy they are and then they'll move you to a postnatal ward, it's at this point some hospitals offer private rooms you can pay for which might be unavailable. Not during birth itself.

Actually I've no idea with induction, I haven't been induced. Certainly on OBEM they tend to be in a private room for inductions too. Antenatal in my experience was used as more of a triage or for women in late pregnancy with complications.

I was induced on the maternity ward (the room I was in had 4 beds, all inductions) but as soon as my waters had broke and I was contracting (20 mins after induction started) I was moved down to delivery.
we then went back to maternity ward the next day, had our own room (as had twins)

Thank you all - That has put me at rest a little :) I have another midwife appt in 2 weeks so will double check as I know my hospital caters to an enoorrmouuusssss catchment which is what I think freaks me out the most. I just can't get my head around 7 delivery rooms... and how there can only be 7 people in actual labour at one time in all of the county almost! Anyway... Thanks! haha xx

Usually start on a ward and then go to Labour room. Although depending how fast it happens you’ll probably be clawing at their eyes if they try to move you, but they will do their best

Went straight to a private delivery room both times, and never even made it to a ward afterwards as I was discharged straight from the delivery room and home after 4 hours both times!