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

We had a private room. Didn't pay. Don't know how it happened. I had a pretty hard birth and was puking and sleeping for 12 hours afterwards so I guess they took pity on us. We were there for 2 days while we recovered and tried to establish breast feeding. Dads were officially not allowed after 10 but the midwives would come round ringing the bell to tell them to leave and wink at my DH and let him stay. The understanding was that if he left they wouldn't let him back in. He slept in the chair. I don't know if they did this for very one or not. Maybe I just looked like I needed the support and they'd sooner DH did it rather than them. I'm enormously grateful to them though. It was a super hard 2 days and I really needed him.

Worth every penny. Quiet room with en suite.

Lewisham has them - I saw an ad up when I was in for a scan. With DD I started off in the birth centre - which is like a Premier Inn - and then at some point needed to transfer to the labour ward as things had stalled. I asked them whether that meant I’d have to go on to the postnatal ward after . I think they felt sorry for me so let us come back and spend the night in the birth centre after DD was born (and they obviously had the space). It was lovely.

We requested a single side room post delivery when our son was born. We had to pay for it but could have had it for the duration of the stay, luckily we were only in for one night. We didn’t have to book anything in advance and were lucky that it was available.

Yes. It was lonely.

I had a private room after delivery. I was being monitored for high BP though so I reckon that had something to do with it because they were very busy. However, it was not relaxing. I had orderlies, nurses, doctors and the like all popping in every 15 to 20 minutes. Couldn't get peace. It was a pain in the arse. And I self discharged because I couldn't relax and it was actually making my BP issues worse!

Ditto re the John Radcliffe. Gave birth under the NHS but booked private room at £450 per night. Worth every single penny. There was no way I wanted to be on a ward with what every that brings. Friends warned me it was a free for all, partners coming in 24 hours, men using the facilities for women, one man took the bath that his wife was meant to be having, stinky take away foods and and an extended family who thought it was their right to come in en-masse, move tables around so they could serve the curries to the rest of the family .

It was literally hell on earth. This was a good few years ago so maybe things have changed (I hope!).

Yes, many years ago, in a hospital that has now been demolished because it was in such a state of disrepair.
Our daughter was full term plus 2 weeks but had to go into special care and I didn’t want to leave her. Didn’t want to take up a needed bed though so took a private room and stayed for a week. It was hot, dingy and no better than the ward. BUT it had a bathroom and afforded my husband and I complete privacy during a difficult time. That alone was worth every penny. If you can afford it, I would say it is worthwhile.

I had a private room with en-suite. It was very small but nice to have some privacy. It was still pretty noisy. I wasn't allowed to have the room until I could walk which was a big incentive to get up and moving around as soon as I could after the c-section. I doubt you'd be allowed more visitors though.

I genuinely didn’t know you could do this,

Anyway I had one, and I had it for a month, because that’s how long I was in due to some significant issues. It was next door to the nurses station and opposite the doctors break room, and was the noisiest room there because of all the staff coming and going, even during the night, and I hated it,,but I was in there becayse it was the room they could get to quickest, obviously. Visiting hours were the same as the rest of the ward.

I was put in a private room when DD and I were readmitted when she was a few days old. It had (weirdly) a jack and jill bathroom with the room next door, and the shower was out of order. I didn't have anyone check on me and when I pressed the call buzzer it just buzzed and buzzed and nobody came. At least on the ward, someone comes round from time to time to check you're still alive.

I didn't pay for it and wouldn't have been happy if I had.

I did, twice. Scotland, no charge.

First time one week 2018.

Second time two nights December 2020.

Both sections.

I was deemed (and agreed) vulnerable as a result of many, many losses. In addition I'm a court solicitor and there were clients there. Staff, patients and visitors.

There were no different rules for visitors.

I requested a private room and got one, c section here. My first c section I was on a ward for 5 days and it was hellish. I did offer to pay but they didn't seem to offer that.

I was very lucky in that in very new build nhs hospital all room in the maternity wards were private en-suite rooms.

I had a private side room when I was readmittsd the day after being discharged home with postnatal hypertension, think they felt sorry for me because I was hysterical crying didn’t want to stay when I should be at home getting settled lol! Tbh I preferred the dorm we were in initially. Side room was quite lonely considering partner was only allowed in 2 hours a day

Should add this was during Covid so partner was limited to two hours a day

I did back in 91 when I was in for extended stay pre having twins, only because everywhere else was full and they didn’t want to keep moving me around. Nothing flash, but having my own bathroom was nice. I got booted out when a premier league footballers wife moved in.

I'm doing my best to grow a bigger baby this time so I can have a chance at our MLU which is a private room for the duration of your stay- I was told at my 12 week appointment for my second child that my first is/was SGA/FGR even though the info in her notes and red book says different to the hospital system. So am on consultant pathway at the moment which means labour ward and then postnatal hell. Never knew about the chance of a private room, will make enquiries as to whether my hospital does it as I think it would be money well spent!!

@Crabbypaddy

Should add this was during Covid so partner was limited to two hours a day

At least he was allowed to visit No visitors at our hospital, including fathers.

I had a private room, the rules for visitors was the same as the ward.

I have had both children at Arrowe Park hospital, and had a private room both times.

First was 3 years ago with a GA emergency section. Had private room and DH able to stay. I was in 3 days.

Second was 5 weeks ago with an elective section. The hospital are attempting to have all women in their own rooms, if there are none available, then you are on a ward but only 4 to a ward, so I believe. My DH could also stay the duration, but could not leave the hospital. I was home 24 hours or so later.

@SakuraEdenSwan1

You get no extra care having a private room.

No, crap care on postnatal wards even with a private room is a given sadly. However, it does mean that you don’t have to spend the painful post birth days surrounded by (usually) morons and their husbands.

Yes, my baby was in scbu and I was crying a lot so they gave me a side room. It was just a room, no toilet or anything else so I had to use the (disgusting) ones on the ward. Dp was only allowed to stay during visiting hours. I was glad of the privacy but I did get forgotten about when they were delivering food or painkillers. I hated being there and it was the main reason I booked a home birth second time around.

It depends on the hospital. I had DC2 in St Thomas (London) and you can't reserve a private room on the nhs ward. However I did get one the first night he was born as he was in SCBU and I'd had a c section and was catheterised etc. Back in the public ward the next day which was several times hotter than the surface of the sun and infinitely less pleasant. No sleep for any one and I got post natal Pre eclampsia which I'm sure was down to sleep deprivation. Utter nightmare.
Previous birth was in the private section which was bliss by comparison. I think it's about £7-800 per night. Worth every penny.

I did twice, asked as soon as baby born for one! I expected to pay both times but I think the first time they felt sorry for me as I was in such a state and they didn't charge me.

For my most recent birth however it wasn't an option as all single rooms were reserved for people that had tested positive for covid or hadn't had a test result yet.