Maternity room-private or double?

[goodstarr]

What type of room were you in after you delivered? I work on a maternity floor that has mostly single, but a few rooms are double. You can only imagine the troubles that it causes. What was your experience?

 

[piratesmate]

For DS (23 yrs ago tomorrow) I was in a private room as the hospital's choice as I'm diabetic & had an emergency C-section. They said it was to make it easier to care for me - not that I ever saw them!

For DD (almost 13) I was in a double - but the ward wasn't very busy so I was alone. I was sooooo bored being alone. They wouldn't let me keep her in the room with me & I sat there twiddling my thumbs wishing I had someone to talk to.

However, knowing how hormone levels are following delivery it probably better than two women arguing!

 

[Pin Wizard]

The last month of my pregnancy I was in the hospital more than out due to BP. My first "roommate" was fine. We got along great. The one after her? I found it interesting that they moved me to a private room. LOL! She irritated me, and I guess that wasn't good for the BP. From that point on I always had a private room. LOVED IT! Had the end corner room after DS was delivered.

 

[Blondie]

Where I had my children, all the rooms were called "suites" and were private rooms, with a shared bathroom.

I work in a hospital now where ALL the rooms are private along with private bathrooms. It's what the public wants. I know that's what I would want if I were to be hospitalized.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

When I had my surgery last weekend the dr. I was dealing with requested I be placed on the wing where women are after delivery. I was in a double room but the night I spent there it was private and then after the surgery i came back to find a roommate (a woman having severe complications with pregnancy). It was weird because the husband of the woman kept yelling at me like I was a child....pissed me off big time.

 

[Keli]

I was in a double room when I had my dd Ashli. I didn't really mind having a double room. I had two different roomates because I had to stay five days (for no good reason medically, I just had an old fashioned dr. that wouldn't release me until then).

 

[DoeWDW]

After I delivered DS, I was moved to a double room. Unfortunately, my roommate kept her baby with her (well, I WAS happy for HER), while my baby was in the NICU fighting for his life. In my opinion, this was heartless on the part of the hospital - I just could not stop crying and worrying about my baby and yet didn't want to interrupt my roommate's happiness.

After I delivered DD, I stayed in a private room. Must've been the complaint letter I sent to the hospital after the situation with DS.... Fortunately, she was healthy and stayed with me much of the time.

 

[floridafam]

Private room.

I wouldn't stay in a double room. JMHO. For health reasons I think it is better to offer a private room.

I also had the option of keeping my baby in the room with me each time instead of in the nursery.

If it was available, we could deliver and stay in the same room with our baby. I thought that was nice.

 

[TINKTWINS]

Well ive had both with my 5 kids. With my older 3 boys all my rooms were doubles, and it didnt go well. I had c-section with all and one instance with ds # 3 I remembers clearly. My roomie had 2 male guests who preceded to use the lav, which was on my side of the room. Now I had just been brought down from the OR and was very uncomfortable, this one guy spent over half an hour doing his business. I was horrified and embarrassed as all moms know, the nurses leave things in the toilet to check on womanly things, DH brought it to he nurses attention, she was bull, she actually had an argument with the moron!! I was crying and petrified they would hurt my baby as he was going to be rooming in with me. I would not let DH leave until one us was moved, they moved her, and the next day every nurse came in to comfort me. What an aweful experiece. I never forgot it, when years later I had the twins, I was in private.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I was in a double room after both of my children's births. I had a c-section with both, so I was there 5 days each. With DS I had the same roommate the first 4 days and I was alone the last day. I chose not to give DS his nighttime feeding the first couple of days. My roommate was breastfeeding and was having a very hard time getting the baby to nurse. Between her baby crying and nurses in and out trying to help her I hardly slept. I ended up getting DS from the nursery the third night since I knew I wouldn't sleep anyway.

With DD I had 2 different roommates. The first one was fine, no problems. the second one was nice, but she had a very large loud family that was there all day. At times there were more than 10 people in the room who were spilling on to my side. The worst part was the bathroom was on her side of the room, so I had to squeeze by all of these people and move the chair that they always stuck in front of the bathroom door.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Privates with all of mine. With the last 5, I labored, delivered, and roomed all in the same room/bed. Very nice!

 

[pixiemomma]

There are very few private hospital rooms in the where I delivered my children. (Of course all the delivery rooms are private) I didn't mind having a roommate. It was nice to have someone to talk to.

I know several people who have had children at another hospital that has all private rooms. (This hospital should have worried about patient care before adding big fancy private rooms, IMO) The rooms seemed so isolated from everything..the nursery, ect. I found it kind of creepy.

 

[KathyTX]

The hospital where DS was born had only private rooms in the maternity area... complete with a private bath, rocking chair, and a daybed for dad. It looked a lot more like a hotel room than a hospital room.

If you don't have complications that require an OR, you are in this room the entire time- labor, delivery, recovery... until you check out to go home.

The very best part? My ob doctor's office was in the same building, even on the same floor, of this hospital! He was able to pop over to check on me at a moment's notice. And the nurses in his office, whom I came to know very well during my (slightly complicated) pregnancy, were able to come over to visit and meet the baby.

I can't imagine sharing a room with a roommate and her visitors during this time!

 

[piratesmate]

Originally posted by DoeWDW
After I delivered DS, I was moved to a double room. Unfortunately, my roommate kept her baby with her (well, I WAS happy for HER), while my baby was in the NICU fighting for his life. In my opinion, this was heartless on the part of the hospital - I just could not stop crying and worrying about my baby and yet didn't want to interrupt my roommate's happiness. .....

I agree with you 100% - it's heartless to do this!

After I delivered our 1st son, who was stillborn, they put me in a room with a woman with a healthy son. When I asked to be moved, they refused. I was told that I had to "learn to deal with it sometime - better now than later."

 

[Stepharoonie!]

You know, I can't believe I didn't realize it at the time, but it was a private room that I had. I had to pay for everything out of pocket (NO INSURANCE!), so everything was very, very pricey. I was really out of it by the time I made it to the room after the delivery, so I think that's why I didn't remember

 

[lil mermaid]

I haven't had my baby yet, but when I deliver in June it will be in a hospital with all private suites.

DoeWDW and piratesmate - I am sorry you had such bad experiences. I agree - that is truly heartless!

 

[Sonya]

The room I was in was private but I had to share the bathroom with another woman. I could also hear through the wall. It was kind of like dorm living.

 

[HappyMommy2]

I had private rooms with both my kids. I don't know how people could ever get any rest in double postpartum rooms now that many babies stay most of the time with their moms instead of in the nursery. My second child cried a LOT in the hospital room and because it was a "rooming-in only (except for health issues)" hospital the nurses would not take him to the nursery; I can't imagine how bad I would have felt if I'd had a roommate who was having to listen to all that crying in the middle of the night!
Also, it was nice that DH was allowed to sleep in the room with the baby and me--I'm sure that wouldn't have been possible with a double room.

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

For DS,10, I was in a private room before and after delivery. But was a pain because you went from a labor room...to birthing room, then to another room. With DD,5, I labored, delivered, and stayed in the same room the WHOLE time...it was nice. Private bath, stero system and even a mini fridge...

 

[floridafam]

I'm a little shocked at the sharing of bathrooms I see mentioned on this thread. I can't believe hospitals would do that. GROSS!