"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?

My ds was born late in the evening, and I was on a ward for 24 hours until a private room became available. I'd had a difficult birth and found the first day really hard. It was such a relief to be in my own space-for us, it was money really well spent- the coming and going of visitors (completely normal, I know!!), and general noise was exhausting. It does depend also on how the birth has gone, but you can't predict that, which is probably a good thing!