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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Honestly, how bad are postnatal wards?

41 replies

Floopyandtired · 22/05/2021 19:00

I’m due to have a planned section with my second DS on Friday. With my first birth I was lucky enough to get (I.e. paid an arm and a leg for!) a private room so I never experienced the postnatal ward. However my midwife says the hospital is really busy at the moment and there aren’t many private postnatal rooms available so I’ll likely be spending my time on the ward after the c section. To be honest I’m really nervous. I don’t mind sharing space with others but I do worry about my baby screaming and disturbing others. I’ve also developed a horrible snore during pregnancy and don’t want to keep others up by snoring like a jumbo jet. I’m also anxious that with partners not being able to stay I’ll find it mentally really tough.

OP posts:

Yummymummy2020 · 22/05/2021 19:03

Don’t worry about your baby crying honestly it’s expected. I was the same I literally was panicking when the baby cried but think about it, everyone is in the same boat and I didn’t think badly of other babies crying, I expected it so nobody will think badly of you either! We are way too hard on ourselves. The snore you can’t really do much about and they probably won’t keep you too long in anyway, and you likely won’t see these people again so try not to stress about that either!!!

GraciousPiglet · 22/05/2021 19:04

Mine was fine. I didn't find any babies really screamed - but even if they had, I would have understood. Generally they only scream or cry when they are hungry at that age which will be easily fixed one way or another.

My husband couldn't stay, it wasn't ideal but second time around I was much less fussed about this as ds1 needed his dad more than I needed him overnight.

My planned section was great, very calm. So when I came into recovery I was in a very different place anyway. I wasn't tired from hours or labour, or traumatized! Also with the second you just sort of know what to expect.

It'll be fine, I promise!

Checkingout811 · 22/05/2021 19:06

Don’t worry about your DH not being there, you’ll be fine.
I had private rooms with my first 2 and then spent a couple of hours on the ward with my 3rd before being moved to a room.

It’ll be fine, the ward I was on, everyone had their curtains pulled round anyway.
The only bad thing I can remember was the heat, not the noise. It was unbearably hot and they had ran out of fans.

Try not to worry & good luck

8monthsinandcranky · 22/05/2021 19:07

I’m in the same boat OP
Induced with DC1 and given a private room. DH stayed with me entire time. That experience was grim enough! No care from midwives at all, felt a massive inconvenience and was desperate to get home.

Not guaranteed a private room this time (can’t book/pay at our hospital) and up in the air whether DH can stay. I won’t cope without him. I went into full on shock last time (significant MH issues triggered by trauma of birth after being sexually abused)

Hospital have been so busy I’ve still not managed to get a MH birth plan in place despite being 36+2 already.

I’m terrified.

Nuggetnugget · 22/05/2021 19:07

I think you are being to kind.
I actually liked the wards. I stayed for five days each time.

georgarina · 22/05/2021 19:12

I spent a night on the ward...it was fine, the same as being on any other ward if you've been in hospital before. Going off my experience, you have your bed that's cordoned off with a curtain on a rail, and baby's crib next to you. Nurses check in at intervals. Other people are in other beds but it wasn't disruptive or chaotic in my experience - it was pretty calm and quiet despite everything.

Africa2go · 22/05/2021 19:19

Think it really depends on how busy it is and how quickly people can go home. I was the last to be admitted to the very busy City Centre subject of documentary before it closed to any other women, and had to deliver in a side room rather than the labour ward as there was no room.

But then on a 4 bed post natal ward I was the only one on it overnight, it was lovely.

Chelyanne · 22/05/2021 19:19

The worst thing about wards I found was bad snoring or women in early stages of labour who were rather vocal about it.

After birth they've always been fairly quiet outside of visitors hours, though visitors hours will not be an issue atm either. It can be super warm and you can't just crack a window open because you're sharing (I got told off). I didn't like leaving baby alone so would wheel them with me for meal times if dh wasn't there.
I've had private rooms for 2 of 4 births, our 2nd I think they felt sorry for me because he was huge and 4/5th twins were an elcs and it was standard to get a room then. I hope they are kind enough to give me a room if I end up with a cs again this time.

Passionfruitpizza · 22/05/2021 19:24

I guess it depends on hospital. Mine wasn't great. My baby was so much louder than the others and cried more and it definitely annoyed people in other beds. No privacy. Hot. With my second I paid for a room and so grateful I was able to do that.

Throughabushbackwards · 22/05/2021 19:34

I was in for 3 nights and like you, was very worried about not having DH with me at night - but the daytime, with everyone else's partners traipsing in and out, shouting into phones and generally being inconsiderate oafs made me grateful that they were all tossed out at night.

TruelyStruttingHotpants · 22/05/2021 19:37

Maternity wards are often kept hotter than hell itself. I have known people get told off for daring to open a window. Be warned. Don't take thick pyjamas or nightgowns. You will melt.

RizzleRazzle · 22/05/2021 19:45

Bloody hot. Only 2 other women in the room but one of them was really loud on Facetime all night and then when her partner arrived they were both inconsiderate and loud.

She demanded the midwife open the curtain between us (which I had shut as I was breastfeeding my baby) as I had the window next to me and she wanted her baby to have sunlight.

The babies barely cried though which was a relief!

Marshy86 · 22/05/2021 19:46

Honestly I felt exactly the same last year, I gave birth in the first lockdown and hubby was only allowed in the delivery suite. All private rooms were not in use so I was dreading it, I was so desperately hoping little man would come in the morning so I could go home by the evening. In all honesty though I actually quite enjoyed being on the ward, we were all in similar positions and spent the next morning chatting. Everyone was so understanding to the situation and I couldn't fault it

Sunland · 22/05/2021 19:49

I found it awful tbh. I didn't sleep for the 4 days I was there and visitor restrictions meant it was lonely (covid). Bring some ear plugs as the constant beeping and talking and crying will drive you mad. Bring a good book and some magazines too because it is very boring.

Good luck. Hope you don't get stuck there for too long

Megan2018 · 22/05/2021 19:58

I enjoyed my stay, it was mid September and packed to the brim, I waited 8hrs to go from delivery suite to postnatal as there were no beds. But everyone was lovely and I slept ok. Staff were attentive, kind and lots of feeding help provided.
It was hot as it was still summer weather but I luckily had an end bay with a window. I was there for about 15hrs as my baby had to have sugars monitored as I’d had GD.
I transferred the next day to a postnatal unit much nearer home though for 3 days of BF support. But that was always my plan as we live an hour from the hospital.
I did have an easy birth though, it did look harder for those post section in pain. They did sometimes have a wait for help (I actually picked some babies up for those struggling).

Megan2018 · 22/05/2021 19:59

Just to add, this was pre Covid though (Sept 19).

OneGlamMama · 22/05/2021 20:00

I hated it. I self discharged myself as I just wanted to be out of there. It was hell.

marplemead · 22/05/2021 20:04

I spent two nights on the post-natal ward (pre-covid) and it was fine. I don't think I was really aware of the other people there, as had my curtain pulled around the whole time. The midwives were great, and I was lucky that it wasn't particularly busy.

thetwinkletoescollective · 22/05/2021 20:04

Do everything you can for a private room. Just because the midwife said it doesn't mean that you might not be in the 'right place at the right time'.

I hated it. The snoring. The Noise. The woman's partner staying all night in the chair opporsite - I do not know why he wasn't asked to leave.
I had a c-section and they made me stay for days.

Heyha · 22/05/2021 20:07

It was the worst part of the whole experience for me. Three nights on antenatal was like a mini break compared with one on postnatal!
But it is what it is until somebody realises that individual rooms would be better all round, and funds them.

needabreak5 · 22/05/2021 20:07

Hot. Unbearably hot. People I know have self discharged for this reason alone.

Redskyyy · 22/05/2021 20:11

I hated it. The other new mums were fine and there was a sense that we were all in it (alone) together. The midwives were really useless and made me feel like an inconvenience. I had a planned section and couldn’t pick the baby up, and had another one in nicu. I had to waddle there pushing one to see the other every two hours. No help whatsoever.
Aside from that, they were hot! Hope you are only in one night, it will be a distant memory before too long.

SGChome20 · 22/05/2021 20:13

Oh goodness, please do not worry about you snoring or your baby crying! My baby was born in December and my DH was given 2 allocated times per day to come in, maybe check your local hospital for rules around this. I was on for a week and it was a bit soul destroying seeing people come in and out all week. Naturally some women are nicer than others, you talk to some and others you want to ignore! Agree with others that they are too hot! You do just kinda get left to get on with it with your baby but I found the staff were so nice if you did need anything.

Cornishbelle · 22/05/2021 20:13

I had a terrible experience with ds1 like pp said was so hot no idea why they do that!! Really noisy no privacy etc. Dd2 I was lucky to get a side room and was so much better.

On a practical note I don't know what current procedure is but with dd2 planned cs I was in and out 24hrs theybwerw keen for this if you and baby were well feeding ok etc. Ds I was there 2 nights and almost a third emergency cs the difference was night and day. Didn't realise Dh could stay even pre covid never saw that at the two hospitals I was in it didn't occur to either one of us I missed a trick there!

stairway · 22/05/2021 20:16

My recent stay was fine. There were some really kind student midwifes during the night which helped. It was quite noisy and lights were kind of left on all night. Luckily I’d brought my eye mask! Would also advice ear plugs maybe too if they are allowed.

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