Maternity room-private or double?

[cindysteve]

I had a private room with both of them. The first one was an emergency c-section, and I did not have a labor room. The second was VBAC and I had a private labor room, and after the birth I had a private mother/baby room. They only allowed visitors if the baby was taken to the nursery (except for the father and grandparents-they could stay). The floor was on lock down, and you needed to be admitted past security. Only the nurse could get the baby to/from the nursery. But they gladly transported them back and forth for you.

 

[aprilgail2]

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.
.

When I delivered my daughter was put into NICU too and the lady next to me was breastfeeding so every night the lights would come on and in the baby was wheeled for her to breastfeed it twice a night.....he husband came at 9am and didn't go home until 10pm the whole 4 days I was in...I was upset about my baby being in NICU, I couldn't sleep because she was breastfeeding and when they turned on the lights I woke up plus she put the TV on while she was feeding the baby...then I wanted to go to bed by 9pm and her and her husbnad would have jazz music playing all day long because they wanted the baby introduced to jazz....GIVE ME A BREAK!! It was the worst experience of my life, I couldn't wait to get my baby and go HOME!

 

[Duchie]

Let's see - 3 babies, 3 different hospitals, but all 3 were private all the way.

For the boys (7 and 4) I labored and delivered in a "suite" type environment, then moved to a private room. Although these were two different hospitals in two different states, the experience was the same - roomy comfy labor room, teeny tiny postpartum room. Bummer. Also, the nurses for my youngest were LOUSEY!!!

My daughter (5) was born in a "Women's Center" - very nice hospital devoted almost entirely to babies. I had the same room the entire time and it was HUGE. It was a fabulous facility but has since closed.

I don't knwo how anyone sleeps at all in the hospital, no matter why they are there. Nurses coming in every 4 hours just to "check" on you. I love when they come in and ask if you're sleeping - well, DUH!!! It's 3:00 AM and you had to shake me, didn't you? If you can't tell, I HATE hospitals!!!

 

[Mishetta]

I (thankfully) had a private suite since I labored, delivered & recovered, all in the same room. My DH spent the night on a pullout couch & my Mom was there during the day. Kept baby in room the entire time with us.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

The room I was in for the surgery (NO I DID NOT HAVE A BABY) was a double like I said earlier and we also shared a bathroom.
I got into the room at about 5 AM and it was empty so my boyfriend got to stay with me and it was empty when I left.
When i came back from surgery feeling awful my roommate had arrived.
She was throwing up the ENTIRE time which did not help with my nausea.
It was an awful experience because her entire family was in there and they would stick there head around the separator to see who was in there and see this young 18 year old and probably thought I had just delivered lol

The woman's husband was an ***...so mean to me and my boyfriend.

 

[cgcw]

With my DS9, I spent 30 days in the hospital because of complications. Until I delivered, I had a semi-private room. For the most part, I had good room mates -- even had the same one twice (she went home and returned with more complications). Only 1 was a bad apple and complained about everything.

Once DS was born, I was in ICU so I had a private room then -- as private as a room in ICU can be.

With DS3 (4 on Tuesday) I wanted a whole new experiece so I asked for a private room. It gave us a chance to bond with our baby as a family without another family in the room.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

[Beanie]

Both of my children were delivered in the same hospital and each time I was the only person in the Birthing Center, so I had all the nurses to myself! LOL

I loved it and was pampered beyond belief for a week each time!

 

[mtemm]

where I had my son (brigham and women's in Boston) every room, LDR and PP are singles, as are ante-partum. Heaven!

where I will be having my twins (we've moved) all LDR and PP are singles, but AP have some doubles. I was admitted for 24 hours a few weeks ago and thankfully didn't have to share...can't even imagine.

My sister delivered both her children at different hospitals, each with private LDRPP rooms...she never once had to move. My other sister had the misfortune of having to share a room with someone when her son was born. It was not pleasant.

The one thing I don't like about the hospital I will be having the twins at is the section recovery. At my old hospital I had an unexpected section, but you still recover in a LDR for a couple of hours then move to your PP room. Here I will be recovering for those couple of hours in a room with 4 beds. I've never seen anything like it! Still, it shouldn't be for that long. I keep telling myself that no matter what, I still have it so much better than when my mom or MIL gave birth. My god, my mil saved the list of rules and regs from when she had my dh in 1970. positively scary!

With my son dh stayed the entire time and we roomed in with the baby. Hope to do that again this time with the twins, god willing they are healthy and don't need the NICU. I'm 31 weeks now and on bedrest for bp, so am scared to death but every day, every week, gives me new hope!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I didn't know a lot of things when I had DD#1 in 1992. When I signed in (I was being induced) the receptionist noted that I had a semi-private room, which was what my insurance covered. She mentioned that "most people don't know a private room is only about $50 more than a semi-private" but by then it was too late. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours and had a 4th degree tear, plus I got hemorroids (sorry for the TMI folks) so I was pretty miserable. The roomie the first night had her TV on all night and I could see the weather channel local weather screen through the curtain. The roomie the second night had the whole hee-haw gang with her.
I learned my lesson and got a private room for DD#2, same hospital, but after birth a pretty small room (this was 1995; the hospital has since modernized). For DS(1998) I had an insurance switch and delivered at a closer hospital with a 1 year old birthing wing that was just heavenly. The only glitch that time was the tornado warning the last night; the hospital went on "code yellow" and they said if it went "code red" 3 new moms, babies and visitors would have to go into one small room on the other side of the hall! Luckily it never got that close.
Robin M.

 

[tigercat]

Things really have changed since I had my first. My dd born in 1975, I laboured in one room, was moved to the delivery room to deliver, then moved to another room to recover. Saw my dd for a minute after the birth, and then a couple of minutes in the recovery room. Then because it was New Years Eve and really busy (I had semi-private coverage) I was put in a ward. A ward had 4 beds and one bathroom. Of course those were the days when babies did not room in with you. Also, no one else was allowed to be with the babies except the new Mum and Dad. There were visiting hours and nap times that were adhered to very strongly. Dad's visited only during visiting hours. With my next dd born 1977 I ended up in a semi-private room. I was really happy about that. Of course those days you also stayed at the hospital for 5 days. The first 2 kids were small for date so had to stay in the nursery. The first time they didn't tell me that if I washed up and put scrubs on I could go into the nursery and hold my baby. The 2nd time I had found out so just did it. I was only 21 at the time and the nurses tried to scare me and tell me I couldn't see my baby. At least this time I had more backbone. My 3rd child a son born 1979 was at another hospital. I laboured and delivered in the same bed. That was great. I was so tired the next day though (he had to go to the NICU but I was told it was nothing) because my roommate smoked and talked on the phone the whole night. It was busy so I couldn't get a non-smoking room. I went to the lounge and tried to sleep. The next day I found out that my ds was not going to live and was being transfered to a childrens hospital. My own dr. signed me out thank goodness. My last was at the same hospital in 1980. He ended up being a C-section after being in labour for several hours. I had a semi-private room in the non-smoking section and now babies are allowed to stay with the Mums and Dads and siblings can come and go anytime as well as other visitors. When my dd had her first things had really changed again. Everything for the better as far as I was concerned.
tigercat
(sorry this is so long)

 

[luvmy2sams]

The hospital where our kids were born is only private rooms...both for LDR and post-partum. After the horror of DD's birth, I can't even imagine trying to recover while sharing a room with anyone else. Yikes...not for me! DS's birth was a walk in the park (both were c-sections), but I would not have been thrilled if I had to share a room. Thank goodness that wasn't even an option.

 

[Serena]

My first girl was born in a military hospital. There was no semi-private, except for the fact that I did so well, they put me in a room with 8 beds, all by myself. yay!!!!

With Kelsea I was in a room with 4 beds, all filled.

 

[browneyes]

I had a single both times. I don't think they had any doubles at the hospital when I had my kids. I also had a private room afterwards.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

The hospital I delivered at has all private rooms, private baths. The rooms are nice but the staff leaves a alot to be desired.

 

[rbuzzotta]

With my middle DD I got stuck in a double. I left the hospital before 24 hours because my roommate did not shut up and was not that clean in the bathroom. Totally grossed me out!! I beg my dr. to let me go or I was going to medically discharge myself.

Luckily DD was healthy and we were able to leave!! DH sent a limo for us...............how sweet. I got much more rest at home and with a clean bathroom!!!

DD #1 and DD #3 I had private rooms.................the only way to go!!

 

[believe]

My hospital only has private/suites...unless they are overflowing. The ironic thing is that you don't have a choice and they charge you extra, which insurance won't cover. I didn't pay the extra since I didn't have a choice. I definitely prefer private, especially when learning to breastfeed for the first time.

 

[Lewski709]

All the rooms were singles in both hospitals I delivered. It would SUCK to share, but if the insurance would only pay for a double...that is what I would do. If that was the case, I would ask to leave early too.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

With my first DS I was put in a private corner room that used to be an old VIP room. It was huge with a private waiting area just inside the door. All of the nurses said that they were able to stay in that room when they had delivered. I felt very lucky.

With DD I was in a private room at a different hospital. There was only 1 other patient on the whole floor and it was very quiet. It was a wonderful experience.

With DS #2 I was back at the 1st hospital because the 2nd stopped delivering babies. There was a run on births that day. I was put in a double because all of the singles were occupied. I was miserable. My roommate's husband slept in the bed with her. She spoke no english when the social workers came around but could speak a lot of english when she had visitors. She refused to nurse her crying baby.

I told them I was leaving if they didn't find me a room. Luckily, she checked out the next morning and later that day I was put in a private room.

 

[huey duey & luey]

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 agree. I had a friend who had an ectopic pregnancy and when she was recuperating from surgery they had her on the maternity ward. I thought that was horrible. My children were also in the NICU and my hospital put me with a roomate who also had a child in the NICU. When she was discharged I was alone.
Tara

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by rbuzzotta
With my middle DD I got stuck in a double. I left the hospital before 24 hours because my roommate did not shut up and was not that clean in the bathroom.

The room I was in had the bathroom on her side so I had to get up, lug me and my IV pole and all the machines on it past her bed, with her husband always there, into the bathroom...I was not comfortable having a male in the room at all times..I had to get up and put a robe on where if he wasn't there I would have just went in my gown, I would have liked some privacy but what was worse was when I was going to take a shower..the showers were down the hall and it was a group type thing.....just for the maternity unit so all female...well I went in to shower and walked right into some womans husband that was in there! I went to the nurses station and they went in and told him that he couldn't be in there and the woman was annoyed with me because she was whining that she needed help....I had a c-section and was managing to shower all by my self, I don't see why you would need help to shower but even if you did need help, have some consideration and have their mom or sister or friend come in and help them...I was really cranky in there to begin with just being in the room with someone who's baby was there all day while mine was in NICU so that didn't help matters...plus being kept up all night by her nursing the baby and calling the nurses station twice a night "I need my pain medication"...and even if that hadn't woke me up while they were in there giving her pain meds they came into my curtain to see if I wanted any. By the last night I was almost ready to take some just to get a good night sleep!