Has anyone had a private room in an NHS hospital after birth?

[cantthinkofaname2021]

Hello,

I have a c section provisionally booked for June but they might bring it forward slightly, I want to book a private room for until I can go home but can't book just yet until my date is confirmed
For anyone who has paid for a room, what was it like? Especially during covid, can you have people with you there longer than ina ward? After my last birth (vaginal) the experience on the ward after was horrible and I asked to leave early which luckily I could

Bump!

Don’t have any answer for you OP but it’s interesting to know you can buy your own room.

I had a Private room (didn't put) but only because I had an emergency c section with twins and they were in intensive care so midwives thought it was a bit upsetting for me to be around mums with babies

To be honest I'd go prepared that you don't get the room as doesn't matter if you pay if there is a more serious case then they automatically get given the room - if it's relatively quiet and you get the room then it will be a bonus

Also with covid they are getting you out as soon as possible so most vaginal birth mums were going home same day and even I went home (had to leave twins there) after 2 nights

Also no you can't have people with you there longer as it would be unfair to those that can't afford to pay and create a 2 tier system

@MikeWhiskeyIndia

Don’t have any answer for you OP but it’s interesting to know you can buy your own room.

The issue is that it can't be guaranteed. You can only request one. You can and will be put on a ward if they are full, or if seriously unwell mother gives birth or tragically any still births

ivf You can at Chelsea and Westminster. Regardless of anyone else who needs it more, if you book it, it’s yours. I was told this by various health professionals, and their website says the same

Yep, I've done it twice but this was pre-covid. Single room, one of them had an ensuite, the other just a loo and basin. Two different nhs trusts and, on both occasions, I was told that if an emergency or a case specifically requiring a single room came in, then I may need to vacate on to a ward.

With my first child, I was in hospital for a week because of pre eclampsia and in the end I didn't actually have to pay for my room! Don't know if that was an error or because it counted as medical need.

Yes. Because my daughter had meningitis.

Yes but because I was in for a week and both baby and I were ill. We were told at antenatal classes they could be booked and paid for.

But in the 8 days I was there people kept asking and were told it's only if there's no one who 'needs' them. Which seemed like never happened.

So you can try but I wouldn't get your heart set on it.

When I gave birth in October any private rooms were being reserved for mothers who had vivid symptoms or positive tests so it may not be an option.
I wasn't even aware that you could pay for a room.

I did only because I was so unwell after I gave birth.

Covid not vivid

yes i did but in 2019 after a long labour and EMCS. had a bed and a bathroom. my husband could stay overnight on the floor/chair - again pre covid.

before getting this room, one of the ladies on the main ward was really noisy and inconsiderate to others - so yes i was very relieved to be lucky enough to have my own room.

Yes I was given one when dd1 was born as I had issues and was in for a week.

Dd2 was an ELCS and I was on a normal ward. Only in one night.

We opted for a private room for two nights for £125 per night with our second. We got it for free first time round as my MIL was a midwife. We didn't end up paying for our second either once they knew who we were, but we were prepared to pay.

I did, but didn’t pay for it, it was because I was so unwell with sepsis after the birth. I found out that they’d had to chuck someone out who’d paid to use the room.

At that hospital you can request a private room but if someone needs it more you need to give it up - even in the middle of the night.

I had a private room with my first, I didn't pay, it was allocated to me because my son was in SCBU and I would have been the only one on the post natal ward with no baby.

It was hot, I didn't get any extra sleep because they still do routine rounds on you and my husband was allowed to stay but he books have stayed had I been on the normal post natal ward.

The main thing I felt was isolated.

I did when I had twins. I didn’t ask for it but we were in for a few days and it was lovely. It’s all a bit vague but I think I had my own shower.

You get no extra care having a private room.

I got one after 3 nights on the ward, pre Covid. DS had an infection and was on IV antibiotics. I was really upset and the midwife got me a private room. It really helped as we were in for another 4 nights

Never paid for a private room but had them for 2 of my 4 births. I think they felt sorry for me after pushing out a huge baby then after cesarean with breech twins. All the usual ward rules applied to the private rooms.
You're best ringing your hospit and asking if they are booking them atm, covid means many are reserved for women to be isolated.

Yes, I did at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, pre Covid for all three of mine, not the NHS ones. Very expensive but worth it if you can afford it for privacy and peace and quiet. En suite and fold down bed. My husband stayed with me the whole time. Visiting hours were otherwise the same I think.

I had a Private room (didn't put) but only because I had an emergency c section with twins and they were in intensive care so midwives thought it was a bit upsetting for me to be around mums with babies

Lucky you! My midwives seemed not to understand why I struggled in a room full of newborns when DD was in NNICU.

Basically paying for walls, so depends how much the noise of the ward would bother you. I had a private room for DC2 after a c section. I had booked one night, for the day of my ELCS, but the first night I had to be in the high dependency room, so that was a free private room with 1:1 midwife but I don’t recommend ending up in there 😄
So then it was just luck that the private room is booked for the night before, was free for me on the second night. If it had been booked up i guess I would have lost my money. It was very easy to be ignored/hard to get the attention required even though you have a buzzer. Wasn’t worth it IMO!

I did this on my second birth as the first stay was really stressful. I had caesareans both times. I think the first night had to be on the ward due to having a caesarean but not sure if I remember that correctly. The circumstances were so different so it’s hard to know if it made a difference- first time was on a ward as a first time mum, in St George’s in London, an aggressive lady was also on the ward, my baby needed to be held all the time, struggling to breast feed and very busy staff. The first stay was really awful but the second was in guildford and a totally different experience including having experience with a newborn. But the private room was lovely. I did pay but it wasn’t that much...less than 100 I think.