The hospital in Belfast Im booked to have baby seems so strict compared to my local one where I had Caitlin. Its scaring me a bit

Firstly it states that most people will not be staying overnight and only to bring essentials as you will go home 'as soon as your condition allows'. An inpatient stay must be 'clinically indicated'. Am I weird that I had intended to stay one night? Eg even if baby was born at 4am I intended to stay the next night, just to get used to BF and have time alone getting to know the baby without visitors/worrying about Caitlin being unsettled? My mum had a normal delivery with me and stayed in a week fgs lol! I think in those days even with a 2nd you stayed 2-3 nights. (Which I wouldnt want to do) Caitlin was born at 3pm and I stayed 2 nights, Id also been in 2 nights before being induced so felt like I lived there for the week - Id my own room & was quite content!

Secondly, no perishable foods are to be brought on to ward eg dairy products, take aways, sandwiches or meats. The only food permitted is sweets, fruit and products that can be stored for long periods at room temperatures.
My MIL brought up cheese and cucumber sandwiches the night Caitlin was born and I swear they were the nicest thing I have ever eaten

Jeez is it too much to ask for one nights support and a cheese sarnie???

I stayed 10 nights. I really didnt want to stay even one but didnt have much choice. The next time round though I think I would want to stay the night as you do need that support. Even just for one night. I think you're right in wanting to stay for a bit xx

ummmmm if i lost as much blood as last time i would stay in but, like last time (although i should have stayed longer i think now) i will be outta there the second i am allowed to be!

I would be outta there as soon as I could!

I stayed one night cos my hozzie like to do that and would only let me leave on the promise that I was going to the local MW hozzie lol - I would have gone home after 6 hours otherwise!

Maybe iv a different view as I had my own room. Perhaps if I was on a ward with 3 other new mums and screaming babies id feel differently. Was lovely just being 100% focused on Caitlin for those 2 nights and not having to worry about anything else.

I don't plan to be in there long. I was made to stay 2nights with Imogen as she was so big they wanted to check her sugar levels but my mw i saw once i got home told me this was an excuse as apparently they never like to let teenagers leave without staying at least 2nights at that hospital.

Not sure what the policy here is, but i think i'll go home after the standard 6hrs as I'd like Immi to see baby and i'd be more comfortable at home. It's personal choice though, i can see why you'd want to stay longer. Lucky you with your own room, I was on a ward. The first night was fine, but 2nd night a woman opposite was buzzing the nurse every 5mins (and for the stupidest things!) and it was disturbing Imogen. We had the most awful night.

Hospital you're booked to sounds well strict, that would make me uncomfortable. Can you not get it changed? I had a choice of about 4hospitals.

It wasn't the fact I was on a ward - the 2 girls I was with were lovely and we chatted and Charlotte who was in the next bed is on my FB and we are still in contact! Then when I moved to the MW hozzie I was there with 1 girl I grew up with and a girl I was in college with!

I am just the kind of person who hates being away from home without the comforts of home, I wanted my own bed, my bath, all my clothes, my privacy and to be able to make a cuppa when I wanted

Shell i'l need to talk to my friend Laura and find out if they really are that strict or just make out they are in their information pages. Helium balloons apparently arent permitted on wards either Laura is prob reading this but cant reply as she has forgot her password the dummy!

Iv the choice of about 4 hospitals too (well atm provided my BP stays ok). Dont want to go to local one where I had Caitlin as they have changed to MW led and im not comfortable with that for loads of reasons. Then there is another hospital which sounds lovely but its maybe 40 min away, which I know isnt that far, but with Stuart not driving id prefer to be closer.

Lisa - the 1st night I had an en suite too lol... and I dont drink tea hehe. Think iv just decided in my head that its going to be a nightmare with grandparents calling down and sitting for ages while im learning to BF, Caitlin will need heaps of attention and Stuart will do my head in taking so long to do things round the house it would be better if I had a day or 2 to prepare for it. Suppose im gona have to face all that at some point anyway

snoopy21 wrote:

Shell i'l need to talk to my friend Laura and find out if they really are that strict or just make out they are in their information pages. Helium balloons apparently arent permitted on wards either Laura is prob reading this but cant reply as she has forgot her password the dummy!

Iv the choice of about 4 hospitals too (well atm provided my BP stays ok). Dont want to go to local one where I had Caitlin as they have changed to MW led and im not comfortable with that for loads of reasons. Then there is another hospital which sounds lovely but its maybe 40 min away, which I know isnt that far, but with Stuart not driving id prefer to be closer.

Lisa - the 1st night I had an en suite too lol... and I dont drink tea hehe. Think iv just decided in my head that its going to be a nightmare with grandparents calling down and sitting for ages while im learning to BF, Caitlin will need heaps of attention and Stuart will do my head in taking so long to do things round the house it would be better if I had a day or 2 to prepare for it. Suppose im gona have to face all that at some point anyway

Tell her to press the 'I'm a donut and Ive forgotten my password' link on the sign in page!

Before I had Izzy I was saying I wasn't looking forward to the visitors, but tbh Izzy was so good and I was so relaxed that it was nice to have everyone round early on!

I think I am more against staying now since what happened to Katie at the MW ward - she stayed in a few days as her OH (ex now) coudlnt get time off work (arse!) and they were awful to her cos she had problem getting him to feed, but they refused to let her use a bottle! I took bottles and milk in and blatently layed it all out on the bed and when they came in Katie said I am bottle feeding now! Later on though one MW picked up her milk (HIPP organic!) and said I have never heard of this, I will get you SMA! WTF?!

How the heck had they never heard of HIPP organic?! You've brought back awful memorys of my 2nd night in hospital - I BF ALL night and by morning wanted a btl and MWs refused to give me one. I was in tears as wanted a few hrs sleep and they stood their ground. I went home later that day. I did continue to BF for 8 weeks though. It prob was a good thing as it made me stick at BF but they still should have supported me a bit more instead of simply saying NO - latch her on again it will bring your milk in.

i just figured this time I would be more assertive about my feeding choices - if I can BF I will, if it hurts or im stressed I wont - simples!

Oh and il say to laura thanx. Think the prob was she uses her iphone and cant get on her hotmail account properly on it or something to reset passwords. Lazy moo does have laptop just never uses it

I can't wait to come home and I haven't even gone into hospital yet! Like Lisa, I like my home comforts too much, want my own loo, own shower, own tv, own cuppa! First time round I had a private room and toilet, but Milo couldn't stay in my room, so it was really lonely. Looking forward to escaping quickly this time!

I won't have the choice I don't think - they're even stricter here snoopy. It's 3 nights for a normal natural birth and 4 nights for a c section. doesn't matter about anything else that's how it goes.
I absolutely hated it with Tyler because I just wanted to be at home and be comfortable, I can't sleep away from home at the best of times let alone when all I can hear is women giving birth, nurses flocking around and am in absolute agony.

If I do get any choice though I only want to stay one night, I would be terrified to go home sooner because like you, my OH doesn't drive and the hospital is about 30 mins drive (well ANY hospital is that far away) and so is my mum.

They don't let balloons in the rooms here they are allowed in the corridoors (they are all private or double rooms no ward) but they say it's because of allergies (or if they pop it scares the babies maybe) also no flowers in the room for the same reason. erm you can take food in, but when your in labour your nil by mouth - no food and no drink!!
They do provide lovely food for you though proper traditional greek stuff nom nom. BUT if you have a c section you can't have normal food until you've farted pmsl. otherwise they give you chicken noodle snoop.
I couldn't have my drip out until I'd been for a wee and every day they were asking me if Id been for a pooh, after giving birth and being stitched up and in pain going to the toilet for anything let alone a no. 2 was the last thing I wanted to! ugh.

so im hoping this time isn't as bad and they let me home after one night!

How can they tell if you've farted?

Do they sit by your bum and wait?

Jade wrote:

They do provide lovely food for you though proper traditional greek stuff nom nom. BUT if you have a c section you can't have normal food until you've farted pmsl. otherwise they give you chicken noodle snoop.
I couldn't have my drip out until I'd been for a wee and every day they were asking me if Id been for a pooh, after giving birth and being stitched up and in pain going to the toilet for anything let alone a no. 2 was the last thing I wanted to! ugh.

that's hysterical! They kept asking me if I'd farted yet too, but i didn't know what the right answer was - should I have farted? was i not allowed to fart? I had no clue! And they kept trying to get me to pooh too, and I just couldn't! Thank god i had a private toilet as I spent most of the time howling in pain trying to provide them with their beloved pooh!

Lol I remember being asked if I had 'Passed wind', but they did give me toast and tea before I had a poo. I stayed in a week after my first cs due to problems with baby and my bp but second cs I stayed in 3 nights. We were allowed to bring anything on the ward.

I was in hospital for 5 days/4 nights with Libby, 3 nights before she came and just the 1 after as I was desparate to get home.

With Dexter I had him at 1:20pm and was showered and ready to go home by 4:30pm, but they wouldnt let me go til the 6 hours was up. TBH I'm glad I came home when I did, I hated the thought of staying there when I didnt need to and Libby was at home waiting for me.

Its entirely up to you though hun, if you feel ready to go and are able to go home the same day then do it, if not hopefully they'll let you stay that night (I cant see how they can turf you out after just having a baby!).

xx

PMSL about all of you with your pooing and farting haha! I remember I was terrified to poo after having Alyssa!

Anyway in response to the original post I think if I had another child, which at the moment the thought scares the living daylights out of me as they have finally told me it was a retrograde bleed from my uterus that caused all of my problems.....I would stay at least one night.

I had to stay 1 night after having A as she had pooed in me, so they had to check her obs for 12 hours after she was born. xx

I stayed 1 night with Aimee and they didnt do her checks properly, meaning that she ended up in the situation she did and nearly dying.

With Lily, I had her at 4.20am and stayed the whole day and following night, as they needed to get her checked out in another ward by other doctors to confirm that they couldnt see any signs of a heart problem.

I am so glad I did stay in though, I really did need it and I knew that Aimee was fine at home with James.

I will be doing the same again this time.

x

I yhtink i would like to stay over night again too. As soon as i came home i was too worried about cleaning and hoovering. When i was in hospital it was just me and alfie im not sure if itll be like that next time, cos of alfie. i wud miss him too much being away from him ! x

i was in hospital 2 hours after i had gracie and it was the best feeling having her at 3:40am and walking out at 6am was awsome i only got there 5 mins before i gave birth and if there is ever a next time i will want the same in face i want a home birth

I hated staying in after having Stephen. I'd already been in 4 nights before I had him then had to stay another 3 nights after. They wanted to keep me in longer but I persuaded them to let me go only to end up back there for another 4 nights so I was really sick of the place! I'm worried this time that I'll miss Stephen so much ( I still haven't spent the night away from him!) but at the same time I need to make sure that we're both well before we go home so I'm not really sure! I didn't sleep at all being in a ward, I caught up much more at home! xx

I wouldn't stay again if I could help it!

I wanted to stay overnight after having Arwyn to get some support/help but I was pretty much abandoned so I'd rather just get home ASAP and feel comfortable at home.

lol snoopy no they don't sit and wait for a fart they just keep asking you if you have. A lady I met the day before I went in to have Tyler was having a c section the day after me and she kept saying they wouldn't give her anything else to eat and only water to drink until she told them she had farted.. and I guess rather than lie its best to be honest just in case there is a problem :/

Although if they don't give you much food or drink how they expect you to fart I don't know! get some baked beans on the menu haha.

I'm scared about coming home early now in case something happens to me. Im not worried about the baby as there's a pediatrician 2 minutes up the road who we already take Tyler too but if summit happened to me I'd have to wait for an ambulance that wouldn't have a paramedic in (as they don't need to be paramedics in ambulances here!) but at the same time I just want to get home as I hated it so much last time.

i had my first and was let out the next day , he was born at evening dinner time , i couldnt wait to get out as couldnt sleep in hospital
second one was born at 6 in morning but i had to stay in the next night his blood sugar levels were silly
with D i was started off on the friday , i left my bags and left hospital at midnight and was back by 8am ( so noone would miss me ) then cos she had shat in me and i had a canula ( sp ) in they would not let me out that day as it had to stay in for x amount of hours ? think that was to do with te drip that speeds up contractions . So i left hospital at 10 am next morning
would i willingly stay another night ? would i feck ! hated being in there ! no sleep , screaming babies ( you can handle your own ) crappy food ! no thanks let me home !