MaternityUnits to allow partner to stay

[babydevil1989]

Has anyone seen the new maternity buddies? Volunteers being trailed in hosps to do stuff such as just help new mums, make tea etc but nothing medical. This sounds like a MUCH better option. x

i would much prefer my OH be with me rather than a stranger!! i dont see the big deal with OHs staying over!

 

[Vicyi]

With my first, yes. The labour wasnt a hard one but i was so terrified that she was going to die that i spend the whole night awake watching her, needless to say come morning i was shattered.
When i had Alex at home i managed alot more sleep after as i had Dan there to 'take over the watch' - although he prob just slept! Haha

 

[babydevil1989]

Has anyone seen the new maternity buddies? Volunteers being trailed in hosps to do stuff such as just help new mums, make tea etc but nothing medical. This sounds like a MUCH better option. x

i would much prefer my OH be with me rather than a stranger!! i dont see the big deal with OHs staying over!

also would the volunteers have to be female seen as its men that everybody is worried about? x

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

The buddies are not there to stay over with you lol they are just there to do the little jobs that the midwives are stretched to do ie cups of tea, feeding help etc.

I have no problems with males in the hospital who are there to care for EVERYONE but someones partner wandering around is different.

IMO, where do you draw the line. What about people having major surgery and are scared, do they get a double bed too? What about neo natal familys? Children having surgery? Elderly couples?

It is a hospital not a hotel!!

 

[~RedLily~]

Also when I've visited patients in hospital it has been very strict about no one but the patient sitting on the bed for hygiene reasons. Would that not be an issue?

 

[AP]

We were lucky enough to have a few rooms for neonatal but these were given out on a priority basis dependant on the circumstance.

Where on earth would they get the space - more money spent to accomdoate these stupid beds? I'm sorry but the men don't need any medical attention, it's mum and baby.

Imagine being a single mother, or imagine being a mother thats alone for some reason and theres strangers roaming around for no real need.

Its all the money thats spent on this stupidity thats crazy. I've seen things that could potentially save babies that the NHS just wont agree to paying for or maintaining, and fundraising and donating is the only way to get this - yet they are considering giving men accomodation?

Go private. Simple.

ETA: Redlily im sure H&S is a big factor!

And then if you start with maternity units, what about other long term patients in other departments? Can't see why thats any different!

 

[babydevil1989]

The buddies are not there to stay over with you lol they are just there to do the little jobs that the midwives are stretched to do ie cups of tea, feeding help etc.

I have no problems with males in the hospital who are there to care for EVERYONE but someones partner wandering around is different.

IMO, where do you draw the line. What about people having major surgery and are scared, do they get a double bed too? What about neo natal familys? Children having surgery? Elderly couples?

It is a hospital not a hotel!!

maybe its just our local hospital but you can stay if your child is in hospital they give you a pull out bed.
i get that they wont just be there for you lol but it would be just the same as having your partner there.

maybe i just dont get it because at my hospital partners are already allowed to stay and have been for some years so iv never known any different.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

^ I have stayed over night with my son but I mean where do you draw the line as people will say they want both mum and dad to stay over with the kids in a double bed! I agree that its mum who needs medical help and not the dad. Its just causing more H&S issues and more money.

 

[babydevil1989]

We were lucky enough to have a few rooms for neonatal but these were given out on a priority basis dependant on the circumstance.

Where on earth would they get the space - more money spent to accomdoate these stupid beds? I'm sorry but the men don't need any medical attention, it's mum and baby.

Imagine being a single mother, or imagine being a mother thats alone for some reason and theres strangers roaming around for no real need.

Its all the money thats spent on this stupidity thats crazy. I've seen things that could potentially save babies that the NHS just wont agree to paying for or maintaining, and fundraising and donating is the only way to get this - yet they are considering giving men accomodation?

Go private. Simple.

ETA: Redlily im sure H&S is a big factor!

And then if you start with maternity units, what about other long term patients in other departments? Can't see why thats any different/QUOTE]

when you say strangers roaming around, it just doesnt happen like that, the men tend to stay with their partners in the cubicle with the curtains round - i dont remember seeing any blokes wandering around!

its different because you have someone to look after whilst maybe having had major surgery/really rough labour with nurses that are too busy to help - i do see what your saying but people in other departments dont have a small being dependant on them whilst they stay in hospital IYGWIM?


i have no idea why that didnt quote properly

 

[AP]

when you say strangers roaming around, it just doesnt happen like that, the men tend to stay with their partners in the cubicle with the curtains round - i dont remember seeing any blokes wandering around!

I know it can be difficult to believe but even in an enviroment like this there are some opportunists around, theft does happen and I even warned of this in the NICU

 

[babydevil1989]

^ I have stayed over night with my son but I mean where do you draw the line as people will say they want both mum and dad to stay over with the kids in a double bed! I agree that its mum who needs medical help and not the dad. Its just causing more H&S issues and more money.

i do agree that the double bed idea (and the £ spent on it would be ridiculous!)
but it does happen in some hospitals (dads staying on the maternity ward) and obviously works (i think our hospital started it about 6 years ago!) in some places, maybe its not for everyone

 

[babydevil1989]

when you say strangers roaming around, it just doesnt happen like that, the men tend to stay with their partners in the cubicle with the curtains round - i dont remember seeing any blokes wandering around!

I know it can be difficult to believe but even in an enviroment like this there are some opportunists around, theft does happen and I even warned of this in the NICU

honestly thats awful!!!

 

[tina3747]

We were lucky enough to have a few rooms for neonatal but these were given out on a priority basis dependant on the circumstance.

Where on earth would they get the space - more money spent to accomdoate these stupid beds? I'm sorry but the men don't need any medical attention, it's mum and baby.

Imagine being a single mother, or imagine being a mother thats alone for some reason and theres strangers roaming around for no real need.

Its all the money thats spent on this stupidity thats crazy. I've seen things that could potentially save babies that the NHS just wont agree to paying for or maintaining, and fundraising and donating is the only way to get this - yet they are considering giving men accomodation?

Go private. Simple.

ETA: Redlily im sure H&S is a big factor!

And then if you start with maternity units, what about other long term patients in other departments? Can't see why thats any different!

Completly agree!
A hospital is there to give beds to people in recovery not husbands. I was admitted for a week due to eclampsia, no need for my husband to stay in an already over stretched NHS. If there's spare cash around spend it on neonatal , breast feeding support, extra midwives....

 

[Lellow]

Ok confession, i didnt read the article, i didnt understand initially that they wanted to fund rooms/beds for OH's.

However saying that, i do think there should be an option for husbands to stay over night but only in the cubicle/room where mother and baby are and not in a specially built area...that is a waste of money.

I had a straighforward birth in a lovely hospital where they do have the facility for husbands to stay over [4 beds], like Cassie stated, the RUH was one of the trial hospitals and it was great, even tho my husband didnt use one of them, the option was there because we live quite a distance away from the hospital, but due to the Group B strep, i was under there care rather than our local community hospital due to lack of equipment should things go wrong.

The MW's were lovely as were the auxiliary nurses and they came around in the middle of the night to help me with BF'in and chat and generally reassure me....its was an A* birth and stay.

But i do feel i was one of the few women who didnt press the buzzer very much because i had hubby there to do those little things for me and Aymen that i might have needed another person to do for me...i was with two other mums in our room and one had her partner with her and the other had 2 other children whom her husband was caring for, so she preferred he went home anyway, so no bad feeling at all.

I know this ^ isnt a representation for all births/mothers/scenarios etc but i do think there is room for husbands to stay, but not necessarily in specially built areas that will cost the earth.

I just think the father also deserves to have those first few special moments with there child just as much as the mother.

 

[Natasha2605]

R.E the security/ h&s issues etc.

My hospital had a new midwife led birthing unit. It's a series of rooms containing a television, bed, sofa bed, birthpool and equipment and an en suite toilet. You had to be buzzed into the room and it was secure so I didn't have anything to worry about. Honestly, it was absolutely wonderful and more placed should have them. There was no moving about from room to ward after birth, I could stay in there until I wanted to leave. When OH left in the morning to go home and collect some stuff I felt safe because nobody could just wander in.

 

[AP]

Natasha that sounds awesome, hopefully I'll get to try them out next time (if there is a next time )

 

[Natasha2605]

Natasha that sounds awesome, hopefully I'll get to try them out next time (if there is a next time )

It's amazing. They even have docks ( think that's what they are called) for your ipod. MW's didn't bother you either, was very much down to me and what I wanted! Highly recommend!

 

[Tasha]

See that is what I am talking about, as new units get built or old ones get a referb because they are so old (this happened some where and they pulled everything out and built them into rooms like Natasha talked about where you stay the whole time) then absolutely a single bed could be provided for Dad or the birthing partner. But the NHS is not in a position to start doing this on every maternity ward in the country and to spend £25million on this when life saving equipment isnt being provided, when some tests arent provided that could save lives because of cost and when nurses are leaving their jobs they arent being replaced placing more pressure on the other nurses, then you have to think is now the right time? And IMO the answer is no.

Also there are few things talked about in here; the maternity buddies. I have social anxiety so still wouldnt ask, besides some of the things I asked my DH to help with I wouldnt subject anyone to

As for go private. The costs are just not the sort of thing most people could afford, I looked into it because I hoped that by being private my next baby I would bring home. Here it is about £15k for a nice, straight foward simple pregnancy, I would look at a bill of £20k plus. How many people can afford that?

 

[AP]

As for go private. The costs are just not the sort of thing most people could afford, I looked into it because I hoped that by being private my next baby I would bring home. Here it is about £15k for a nice, straight foward simple pregnancy, I would look at a bill of £20k plus. How many people can afford that?

Oh I meant go private as in, if you want an OH to be there so much,(straightforward pregnancy and such) why cant people go private rather than the taxpayers footing the bill and this idea in the article ykwim? xxxx

 

[Mummy2B21]

Theres a midwife led unit near me who let the partners stay they have like your own room with a bed for partner.

I do think its goid especiqlly for 1st time mums or mums feeling like they need the support of there OH.
I know i hated being alone and when they said they wanted to keep me in over night i burst out crying i felt isolated i needed my family it was all to overwhelming and thankfully she let me go home same day i hated my OH have leave and come back.