"book a private room"

[DuelingFanjo]

Loads of my friends have said I should book a private room in the hospital rather than be put on a ward.

Is it really much better? Is there any point for what might only be an over night stay or do they mean I will be labouring in a ward with other people during early labour?

If I did get a private room how would I go about it?

At our local hospital you can book a private room but there is no guarantee that there will be 1 available when you want it as there are a limited number and parents who have babies that are born with problems get priority. I'd say it's not worth it. You won't be on the ward for more than a few nights. Buy some ear plugs and save the money.

After both my DCs births I had a private room. I have no idea why I was lucky enough to be given a private room - I put the request on my birth plan both times, but perhaps there was some other medical factor that gave me priority. I didn't have to pay for the room. I'd check with your hospital to see what their policy is - I would expect women with specific medical needs to take priority over 'would like to haves' even if you have booked in advance.

At my hospital all the labour rooms are private, so not an issue there.

I was in hospital for some time on and off before both births, I was just on the usual antenatal ward and TBH being with other women in the same boat saved my sanity (and made me at least one very good friend). Some people were a bit annoying, but that just gives you something to moan about when you get visitors .

We have a new maternity unit here in Cardiff which I hope is an improvement on how it used to be as I can't find any good reviews of the Heath hospital - gulp.

I think when you're in labour you are in a private room anyway. If you were in early labour they'd send you home I would think. I've never heard of a hospital that expects you to labour on a ward with other women - I think your friends are referring to the ward you would go to after the baby's born.

At my local hospital there is a new maternity unit and it's all private rooms now. I was in for 5 nights and nearly went stir-crazy looking at the same 4 walls and the view of the car park out of the window! It was nice having a private ensuite shower room but on the whole I think I would have liked to be on a ward with other women to talk to as my stay was quite long. If it had been one night then private would have been okay.

Delivery rooms private in the hospital I went to.

I have to say if I'd ever had another baby I would desperately have wanted a private postnatal room (quite often called amenity rooms). If I'd had one the first time round I might not have been so desperate to get home due to total lack of any sleep at all, and who knows, I might even have managed to breastfeed. But yes, there's no guarantee that you will get one even if you ask.

I had a private room after dd's birth, you can't book in advance at my hospital as they don't know if they'll be free as people who have lost babies / had complications have priority obviously.
I just asked for one in the delivery room after the birth when they started talking about taking me up to the ward. It cost about £70 and was well worth it for me, I couldn't stand the idea of being cramped in a noisy shared ward with a flimsy curtain for privacy. Plus you get full control of a tv

I had a private room after I had DS and it was a godsend. It meant that DH could come and go as he pleased and that we didn't have to put up with the noise of other people.
I slept when I wanted to and breastfed in complete privacy.

We paid £50 a night for 3 nights, it was the best £150 we ever spent. I had an emcs though after 36 hours of labour so I was absolutely exhausted, but I would do the same again regardless of whether I had a VBAC or a another section.

DF, I'm due to give birth at the Heath in a few weeks ELCS - and it is very confusing working out what the arrangments/options are, IMO. And yes, it has had some awful press in the last few years.

They move you out of the delivery suite (single bed room) as soon as they are happy you can be looked after on a ward, which is normally a matter of a few hours after birth as far as I know.

I've been told there are private rooms but no guarantee you'll get one, and there aren't many anyway.

A mate had an emergency CS earlier this year, and had to spend a couple of nights on the consultancy led maternity ward (C1? I think that's what they call it), which she hated (crowded, busy, loud, no privacy etc - curtains round the beds, but the beds very close to each other....also said there was little privacy in the shower, and a lot of blood!). The MWs are very cagey about C1 when asked, which I found alarming...

But then there's the MW led unit at the Heath too, which I gather is the 'new' one, and that seems to have either individual rooms, or be shared with only one other mother. I could be wrong, but that's what the MW said when I asked a couple of weeks ago.

I wish there was some external 'resource' which told you these things. Even knowing if you'd been in a 3 bed ward or a 20 bed ward would be handy....

I requested an amenity room after my c-section last time round. I had to pay for the two nights (£50 per night) and it was well worth it. I am a very private person and I don't particurlarly enjoy chit chat so it was lovely to spend time just myself and dd in peace. Plus the en-suite was definitely a bonus.

I did get forgotten a couple of times though, didn't get breakfast on the last morning, so next time I would be more vocal.

I just had a private room after my section with DD2 on Tuesday.

I had wanted one after DD1's birth and never got round to requesting one. I was wheeled into a 4 bed ward at 11PM and my baby spent the entire night screaming. I found it really stressful trying not to disturb everyone else and when she finally went to sleep the snoring from the next bed kept me awake.

This time round I asked for a private room from the outset. It was brilliant, had my own bathroom, wasn't disturbed by anybody else or there visitors. It was suppposed to cost £75 a night but they said they wouldn't charge us as the ward was full so we would have had to go into it anyway.

meant to say - i was planning to use my health in pregnancy grant to pay for the private room.

Yes, totally worth it.

At my local hospital, you have a private room for labour and delivery, but then get put onto the ward post partum, unless you request a private room.

With DD1, I knew I'd be staying in after the birth and so requested a private room and it was lovely. It was ensuite, so I could shower and use the loo in peace, hubby was able to stay all day, and they were pretty relaxed about visitors. I actually felt as though I rested after the birth.

With DD2, I was expecting to come home post labour. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and I had to stay in for a few days after birth. However, as I hadn't requested a private room, by the time I realised I would be staying in, it was too late to get one and I have to say it was hell on earth. Despite having a baby that slept, I got no sleep due to other people coming and going all night long and other babies that were crying. Because I was on the ward, I couldn't just have mum and hubby up at the hospital all day, whilst I slept because they had to adhere to the visiting times. By the third day, I was so desperate to get a decent night's sleep I checked myself out of hospital. This was in spite of the consultant trying to talk me out of it. I just really needed to sleep and relax, and I wasn't getting that on a ward!

So yes, a private room is totally worth the money in my experience!

Had 3DC. First and third child I luckily got a private room (they are over-subscribed). For me, definitely worth the money. But if you don't get one, then its no great stress.

Where I gave birth (university hospital in London) you could not get an amenity room unless you were very lucky as they were all booked up for those having booked C sections, who obviously could give a firm date. However, after a night in a 4 bedder they did give me a basic single room at no cost, think it was because I was the only one breast feeding in the 4 bedder and the other mums were letting the midwives give their babies bottles which I would not.

The amenity rooms were in a totally different league & I would have gladly paid

thank you barkfox, I think the amount of info available is pants too. I've been to the new unit twice for scans/bloods but won't get a tour for ages.

I am hoping I can use one of the birthing pools up there and that things are better than they used to be.

I'm due to give birth in the Heath in a month and haven't been able to get any information on it - asked midwife and got told I'd see it at my ante natal class next weekend!!

Have heard good things about the midwife led unit from a (male) colleague who's wife gave birth there in November, but I have no idea if I'm going to be allowed to give birth on the unit or whether I'll be on the consultant ward! Communication around my birth plan has been pretty poor

I'm going to ask about the ward, midwife unit and private room next week and will let you know what I get told........

Oh and congratulations on the pregnancy - we were both (briefly) on the same ante natal thread last year

Thank you JamieJay and it's great to hear some stuff about the Heath.

I am currently under midwife led care but that might change because of my age. I didn't realise until I got the responses on this thread that this might effect where I give birth.

emsjy- Women labouring on a ward with other women, it DOES happen sadly. At my hospital is very common if for any reason you have to be kept in for early labour. I was induced and on a ward with other women until I was ready to go to the delivery room at 7cm. The poor women were there for things like high bp or monitoring and trying to sleep and had me mooing and puking everywhere (no pain relief until the delivery room, plus induced contractions which were v. strong and frequent every 3 min...). I was in the same boat before the induction took hold with the woman in the next bed having a VERY noisy early labour. They didn't even try to separate the women being monitored in early prgnancy/ those in labour. It was the worst bit.

I've experienced similar situations strawberrycake I was in lots with DS1 for high bp or preeclampsia, and lost many nights sleep due to other women being in early labour. It was catch 22 for me, being tired brought on migraines which sent my bp sky high, which meant I had to stay in..... In the end I got them to massively up my bp meds so I could go home and sleep!

Private room - would have loved one with DS1, but didn't get one even though I'd had a c/s and had an extended stay due to preeclampsia and bp issues. Got one with DS2 after a horrific labour, v.traumatic birth and a baby in NICU. Was bliss even without an ensuite. I couldn't sleep well for the first day or so as I was so anxious about DS2, and was being called to NICU to bf on demand, so having quiet when I could was lovely.

Blimey, strawberrycake, that sounds horrible!!! Although now you say that, there was a woman being induced in the room next to mine on the maternity ward so I suppose in the days before they had private rooms at my local hospital she possibly would have been induced on the ward.... yuk.

I had an amenity room after DS1 was born, definitely worth the money. It's hard to sleep on the ward with others. It's pot luck whether thay are available, you have to ask when you get there (after you have delivered).

my local hospital doesn't have any private rooms. The delivery rooms are all en suite and private. You are usually in there for about 24 hours once you have had the baby and rested for a few hours, and then if all is well they just send you home. Most people are never on the ward.