Ward or private room

[2020firsttimemum]

So I posted a thread about paying for scan photos and remembered another thing I found interesting so thought I'd do a new thread.

When you gave birth did you go on a ward after having baby or did you get a private room?

Only reason I ask is because I thought it was the norm to have a private room and was surprised when it isn't!

I had a private room at the hospital I gave birth in and it was my first so was none the wiser

@ImperioMarch sorry but it's not selfish to keep your curtains closed on a post-natal ward, when you're possibly at your most vulnerable and then thrown onto a ward with strangers. Those curtains are your only tiny bit of privacy in there.

I have birth by emergency C-section in 2006 and was discharged to a ward of 8. Toilets / bathrooms off the ward. Awful, absolutely hated it. Poor woman in bed next to me had also had a section and reacted badly to the anaesthetic and spent the night vomiting. No chance of any sleep from people coming onto the ward overnight, babies crying, checks and meds at all hours. In for three days and did get a private room for most of the time though as I developed an upset stomach (other end from my poor neighbour!), most likely due to an irritated bowel from the section but they isolated me in case I was infectious. Never been so pleased to have a touch of the runs!

Also gave birth in 2021, ostensibly in a much nicer area and hospital. Discharged to ward three hours after baby was born - same awful experience. Boiling hot, impossible to rest when you need it most, little privacy. I was in for four days as baby was early and needed treatment for jaundice and antibiotics. I got a private room for some of the time as a result but had to move for a lady coming on to the ward with a poorly baby, which is obviously how it should be. I'd have paid for a room but there weren't any available anyway.

Those of you who live near hospitals where all the post-natal care involves a private room with ensuite are very lucky. This is exactly how it should be for all new mums. You've just gone through something huge, your hormones are all over the place. It's totally overwhelming both emotionally and physically. You're also utterly exhausted, in a way you've never experienced before and are about to be exhausted for the next few months at the very least. Post-natal care should involve mums being able to rest and recover from the experience of labour and birth. A private room and bathroom with a communal area for during the day if mums want to chat etc should be de rigueur in all hospitals. I think it's really appalling to put a new mum and baby onto a ward, with shared toilet facilities and no chance whatsoever of getting any rest or chance to recover.

First baby at kingston - they mainly had private rooms on the low risk post birth ward. Was fab.

Last baby at a different hospital - all ward and hardly any private rooms. Maybe different now but private rooms were kept for covid patients.

Ward was ok, noisy but I did miss having a private bathroom! One shower room on the whole ward with about 6 bays (holding 6 beds). Not fun

sorry but it's not selfish to keep your curtains closed on a post-natal ward, when you're possibly at your most vulnerable and then thrown onto a ward with strangers. Those curtains are your only tiny bit of privacy in there.

True, but do you really need them closed for every minute of every day? I was in the same position as Imperio with my first, and it was miserable having no light and no fresh air. Plus I was desperate for human interaction, and given we'd all just gone through a similar experience, it would have been nice to chat.

Second baby I was next to the window, and I kept my curtains open as much as possible. Sadly everyone else had them shut, so still no chatting, but oh well.

I'm staff, so ordinarily if there was a spare private room, I would have been offered one gratis. Unfortunately for me, pre-eclampsia trumps perks, so bays both times. Wasn't so bad overall, but then I grew up in a family of 7 sharing one bathroom in a 3 bedroom house. I also currently have a toddler who was once a velcro baby. Privacy is nice when it happens, but I don't expect it.

Christ I can’t think of anything worse than going through birth, being exhausted, hormonal, feeling vulnerable then getting precious first hours with my new baby and being expected to make small talk with a bunch of random women instead of just gazing adoringly at new baby for hours

Absolutely not for me. Curtains remain firmly closed!

Ward a couple of hours after the birth, then transferred to a private room when my baby was rushed to the NICU, then back onto a ward when I was transferred to a different hospital to be with my baby there (he was blue lighted to another hospital in a different city and I followed later when they’d found me a bed there - I’d had an emergency section). It was AWFUL being on a ward where everyone else has their babies with them, I used to lie in my bed crying in the night at the sound of all the other babies waking for feeds.

Private room after DS1. Was extremely grateful for it as I got news of the loss of a very close family member hours after he was born, dont think I could have handled the emotional state I was in on a shared ward, and DP got to stay with me. DS2 4 bed ward after a c section. There was only one other mum and baby there for the night though and we talked and helped eachother when our babies wouldn't sleep or when we needed to awkwardly shuffle to the bathroom, it was surprisingly nice

This. On ward with first and private room with second. Hated being in a private room as I got completely forgotten about and as I physically couldn't get out of bed due to blood loss I was laying in post birth gunk for nearly 24 hrs. I did bleep a couple of times to see if someone could help me to the shower and clean me up but they were always too busy and would come back later.

Finally a lady came in to ask if I need help breast feeding and I said my main priority was get in the shower. She helped me get in but I overheard her having a go at someone to come and clean up the bed because it was such a state. She was clearly shocked by the state I'd been left in and I've said since it was like being in a 3rd world country where they expect friends & family to assist with day to day non-clinical care. I also didn't get any breakfast because it was at the end of the corridor and the HCA refused to bring any to me because'I could walk and get it myself' despite not being able to which I explained. She also refused to help me to the shower.

With my first I was on a ward and my baby in SCBU. Again I was pretty much ignored but at least I could get the attention of nurses/doctors rather than being forgotten about. Again I couldn't walk so needed a wheel chair to get me to SCBU. The first time that happened it was a lovely student nurse who'd come to visit me because I was her first birth. She found me in floods of tears because no one would tell me what was going on with my son and I had no way of getting to him.