When in labour were you allowed into your delivery room?

[rainylake]

I've realised over the last couple of weeks that although I on the whole had a positive birth experience, what happened in the first stage of labour was actually quite stressful and I've been suppressing it. Now 30 weeks with baby 2 and have realised this is why I've suddenly started feeling quite anxious about the birth.

Basically, went into hospital because waters broke at 39+6 - they didn't want to let me go home to see if for labour would start naturally as some worries about my blood pressure so put me on antenatal ward to wait. Busy, lots of women in there who had been in hospital for some time with complicated pregnancies and who were understandably pretty sick of the place.

Then labour started, but midwives were busy and overstretched so didn't really realise/acknowledge I was already in active labour, so ended up spending most of first stage of labour in a crowded room with lots of strangers in, no privacy or access to any pain relief (though DH managed to get me brought some paracetamol and a hot water bottle at some point). Felt I had to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible through the contractions because there were so many other women right next to me who were trying to rest and was very conscious of being in a shared ward space. When I finally persuaded a midwife I really was in active labour she took me to this strange striplit room, put me on a monitor, then went away for another 45 min or so. Got the feeling she still didn't believe me and was doing it to humour me, as not sure why she didn't stick around at all. By this time the contractions started coming every couple of minutes and very intense. When she then came back, she then looked at the monitor, was clearly taken aback, did a vaginal examination for the first time, and then said "oh my goodness we need to get you to delivery suite right now". Had to be rushed in a wheelchair as I couldn't walk by this point. Was almost fully dilated by the time I got there, and that was the first time I got offered any pain relief beyond paracetamol.

Once I got into the delivery room everything was brilliant - had proper attention from midwives, felt someone was finally there to look after me, able to moan and groan as much as I wanted and move around, put music on and dim the lights, finally some privacy and space, and gas and air available. Baby born about an hour later. But the first part was really not great and I'm quite scared of having to go through that again and go through most of labour in this very medicalised sterile environment yet ironically without any actual medical care and with loads of strangers in the room with me.

So I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that this was just a random mess up because they misjudged how precipitate my labour was, rather than this is just what they do to you in hospitals. And some strategies for how I can avoid a repeat this time if my waters do go first again.

Can I just mention that you may be getting slightly skewed results here because the people answering are probably those who have had bad experiences. Those who had no problems probably won't post on this thread because it was no big deal for them. I'm not trying to minimise anyone's experience but as a straw poll of how people found it, it might not be accurate.

Thank you @Pidgythe2nd, that’s helpful. Sounds like your experiences were quite similar to mine. I think a midwife afterwards said I must have dilated at about 4cm per hour, and I feel like it got faster as it went along. I think labour was about 3.5/ 3 and 3/4 hours from when contractions actually started (though there was a fair gap from waters breaking to contractions starting so it wasn’t like there was no warning at all). When I did get to the delivery room even realising it had gone fast upstairs, the midwives there were taken aback when I started pushing as they had literally just told me that there would probably be another few hours to go before transition. (Unlike yours they werent patronising about it to be fair, just surprised). Since second labours are typically shorter than first ones, I’m guessing that it will most likely go faster this time.

I completely agree about being “in the zone” - my main memory of being on the monitor (other than thinking how intense it was and seeing the contractions on the screen were coming really fast) was telling DH not to try to talk to me or touch me because I needed to be in my own head and cope with it. Definitely wasn’t silent by that stage as I also remember thinking that it was a relief to be able to make a bit of noise as now off the main ward, but I can see how any outsider (and also DH) would have just thought that it couldn’t be that imminent. Also I was not all that rational or able to communicate by the time I got to that point so I think by then I was well past being able to ask him to go and get the midwife. So I think I need to make sure he is prepared to make a fuss this time if necessary as I may well just want to go into myself, especially if the external environment is stressful/clinical.

I think you’re right about getting it on the notes. I’ll talk to the midwife about where best to put it that it’s obvious and will get spotted quickly.

I had two quite quick births.

Contractions started and were every couple of mins within an hour or so.

Phoned hospital who did comment about being a first time mum but said to come in anyway.

Arrived in a lot of pain. Taken straight to birth room. Again asked if it's my first. Checked and 7cm. Offered gas and air. Hospital in Scotland.

Second labour. Again fast contractions within the first hour. Went to hospital. Did advise that first labour was fast. Told to wait on some chairs. Maybe 5 mins later they realised how fast my contractions were and took me straight to a birthing room. 8cm. Again gas and air. Hospital in N Ireland.

Honestly couldn't complain. Both sets of midwives listened to me and while they were expecting me to be exaggerating the pain they were willing to examine me and acted quickly once they realised how far along labour was.

They are always busy. Make noise. And try to make sure you are heard. No prizes for suffering in silence. Make sure your birth partner is willing to shout if you can't.

I hate midwives. They are so arrogant and condescending. The worst are the old prune faced hags and the young ones who are completely clueless. They look like they should still be in their school uniforms. How can you do a job when you've never experienced it yourself? I could do a better job just reading a book. Basically, that's all they're doing anyway. I'm afraid proper training went out of the window just like most of the nhs a long tome ago.

I arrived at the hospital at 11pm with contractions every 3ish mins apart. They’d only told me to come in because I wasn’t sure when I’d last felt baby. Due to a miscommunication between staff, I was left in the triage waiting room for an hour with very regular and painful contractions. Finally taken to a room to be hooked up to a monitor. Couldn’t lay down it was far to uncomfortable and it made me feel panicky. I wanted to stand up but had to stay sitting. Midwife popped in periodically and commented “wow you really are contracting” I was quiet and breathing through contractions so I don’t think they realised quite how far alongI was. I was finally examined at around 1 to be told I’d be having a baby really soon and was 5cm so I thought I still had hours to go. After a bit of umming and arrring it was decided I could deliver in the MLU in the pool but the midwifes had disappeared to discuss this. At this point, I was starting to feel panicky as I felt I had hours left and had had no pain relief at that point. in hindsight I think I was dilating/transitioning really rapidly as by the time I made it to the delivery room I needed to push. I was never reexamined as the amazing midwife in delivery told me to just go with what my body was telling me. Baby was born 45 mins later at 2.30. Finally getting in the pool was a huge relief.

I actually look back on my delivery really positively but realise it could have gone pear shaped if they’d told me to stay at home longer or hadnt moved me to a delivery room when they did. I’m gutted I wasn’t in the pool for longer as I felt sooooo much better in there. I do think that because I was fairly quiet and calm and not wailing it wasn’t picked up how far along I was. It’s happened to several of my friends that when they move finally been checked they’ve already been 8/9cm.

I’d done the positive birth company online course and I really do credit it for keeping me calm throughout! I just think some midwives need to catch up that being calm can’t mean you aren’t well into established labour.

I got admitted for pre-eclampsia at 35 wks and put on a ward. It was awful!! Visiting time, other woman's visitors would open my curtains by mistake, kids running in and out of my cubicle, shared toilet even with the male visitors!!

Morning after my 1st night I came out the toilet and on my way back to my cubicle midwife asked how I was.

I replied "I'm ok, had diarrhea just now" (which I did, just a tiny bit, but I kept that quiet).

Within 30 minutes I was moved to a private en-suite room with a quarantine sign outside so staff didn't pass about any infection I may have had (which I hadn't, I ate too many rennies, which I also kept quiet).

I stayed in that room till I got induced 2 weeks later at 10am, and DH was allowed to stay every night.

Labour was horrific, nearly 24 hours of full blown contractions every 1 - 2 minutes and only 1cm dialated the whole time so I was refused pain relief despite begging!!

I was told I can't get pain relief till I go to delivery room, and I can't go to delivery room till I am either 4cm dialated or my waters break.

I was in so much pain I actually passed out at one point!!

8am next morning I was still 1cm dialated and cried when I was told. 15 minutes later my waters broke 🤗 And I got moved to delivery room where I got gas n air, morphine and an epidural in the first hour. I slept till 5pm and my daughter was born at 6pm.

I'm now 8 weeks pregnant and as soon as I get put on a ward I will definitely say I have diarrhea again!!

Going through the pain in the private room was the only thing that kept me sane!!

I also get tramadol on prescription for a chronic condition.

This time I have kept nearly a whole prescription by so I won't have to go through labour with no pain relief again!! It'll take the edge off better than paracetamol!!

Aww I really hope your next experience is way better this time, there are some really good tips been posted on how to get better treatment. It's a shame about departments are set up this way. There is an nhs hospital in kirkaldy scotland which I heard only has private rooms in the maternity unit, I think all hospitals should have this x

DS1, I went to unit when waters broke, and was sent home after a check.
When I went back in 12 hrs later, I went straight into the room I delivered DS1 in about 3 hrs later.

DS2, I delivered on my bathroom floor, with the paramedic there for the last 60 seconds (total labour, from first contraction to baby,) was 2.5 hrs

Straight before I was induced - they couldn't get a trace on DS's heart rate little bloody fidget so we were in the labour ward from start to finish