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View Full Version : Private Room or not?



LD92599
06-19-2010, 10:07 AM
I need to decide this ASAP. I had a private room with DS and was glad I did esp as a FTM, nursing etc. However i never left my room, didn't meet other new moms etc.

This hospital though requires lunch and dinner to be in a central buffet/dining room, so i'll be forced 'out!'

I did hear that if i have a shared room there's a great chance i'll be alone anyway and with the way hospitals turn their rooms around so fast, i might be with someone else for just few hours........

on the flip side, i'm anticipating more visitors this time around, plus my DS who is 7 1/2, and my mom who is in a wheelchair, so space is a concern too!

Ugh!

SnuggleBuggles
06-19-2010, 10:13 AM
Private room, for sure!! What if you end up with some totally annoying roommate that yaps on her cell phone all the time, ignores her baby, has constant visitors when you are trying to rest and is just miserably unpleasant? I detest hospitals anyway from a sleep standpoint b/c they interrupt your sleep all the time with pokes and prods and then the loud speaker in the hall...imagine finally sleeping through that only to be woken up by a room mate? I guess I don't crave social interaction more than sleep. :)

Beth

nrp
06-19-2010, 10:18 AM
I vote private, too. I was too tired after both of my deliveries to care much about socializing. And I would also be concerned about an annoying roommate.

As an aside, how does that work with the buffet line if you are recovering from a c-section or a difficult delivery and are in too much pain to get out of bed yet? Do they refuse to bring your meals to your room? I delivered at different hospitals with my two kids, and neither of them had a set-up like that.

jgenie
06-19-2010, 11:00 AM
If you can afford it - Private room - private room - private room.

You don't know what your labor, delivery and recovery will be like. If it's great and you feel great you can try to socialize at meals - if you're tired you can retreat to the peace and quiet of your room.

ohiomom1121
06-19-2010, 11:11 AM
Another vote for private...between all the monitors, nurses walking in every hour to check on something etc. I would hate to give up the few moments of peace you actually get while there. I definitely wasn't interested in meeting anyone while there-just my family and friends.

TwinFoxes
06-19-2010, 11:53 AM
Another vote for private...between all the monitors, nurses walking in every hour to check on something etc. I would hate to give up the few moments of peace you actually get while there. I definitely wasn't interested in meeting anyone while there-just my family and friends.

:yeahthat: The thought of a semi-private room, ugh! Even that buffet line thing wouldn't thrill me. Ugh.

At the hospital where I gave birth, all the rooms were private so insurance covered it. :)

fortato
06-19-2010, 12:20 PM
PRIVATE.

It's bad enough to have visitors when you're bleeding, and uncomfortable, and constantly having someone checking things out... but when you have a permanent extra person in your room, it's even worse.

Go private!

fumofu
06-19-2010, 03:52 PM
Another vote for private. I don't want other people bothering me, I wouldn't want to bother other people. Especially if you or the other mom end up with large group of visitors, I wouldn't feel comfortable exposing LO to so many strangers.

boltfam
06-19-2010, 04:30 PM
I would definately opt for a private room. I just want to sleep and spend time with my baby and (some) visitors. My hospital only offers a private room, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

infomama
06-19-2010, 05:36 PM
Private room all the way. All our rooms were private but if I had to choose or even pay some out of pocket to get a private room I would have.

pinay
06-19-2010, 05:56 PM
As someone who HAD to have a shared room, I would NEVER put myself, DH or anyone else through that again! I had 2 roommates during our stay there and while they were relatively pleasant, it was awful trying to get the hang of nursing, soothing a newborn, etc with another family in the room. When one baby would finally fall asleep, the other would start wailing and wake the other one up- we actually left the hospital earlier than we needed to just b/c we were desperate for some privacy and space! Plus, I have an enormous family and lots of friends who wanted to come visit, and it was really hard to do when we were in a teeny hospital room. Oh, and probably the most important thing for me was sharing a bathroom- I learned the hard way after having to trek down the hall to use the guest bathroom 12 hrs after delivering DD that there was NO way I would ever want to have to share a bathroom in recovery again.

newg
06-19-2010, 08:59 PM
private private private all the way!!! I was in no mood to "meet friends" while I was learning to be a new mommy the last time.........and this time I really want to savor my precious moments with new DD before bringing her back home.
DH and I chose to let DD sleep in the nursery at night and they brought her to me when she got hungry........it was wonderful to have a few hours of peaceful sleep, and to possibly not get that because my roommate wants to keep her baby (which is totally fine)...........plus the whole, sharing a bathroom, thing just gives me the willys!!

KrisM
06-19-2010, 09:26 PM
I can't think of any reason I'd want to share a room. None. Definitely private!

sunshine873
06-19-2010, 09:55 PM
I can't think of any reason I'd want to share a room. None. Definitely private!

:yeahthat: I'm sure I'd survive if I had to share a room, but it would NEVER be my preference. Especially when you're tired, recovering and getting used to your new family!

Smillow
06-19-2010, 10:25 PM
Private! For all the reasons listed above, and them some!

Reina
06-19-2010, 11:07 PM
I need to decide this ASAP. I had a private room with DS and was glad I did esp as a FTM, nursing etc. However i never left my room, didn't meet other new moms etc.

This hospital though requires lunch and dinner to be in a central buffet/dining room, so i'll be forced 'out!'

I did hear that if i have a shared room there's a great chance i'll be alone anyway and with the way hospitals turn their rooms around so fast, i might be with someone else for just few hours........

on the flip side, i'm anticipating more visitors this time around, plus my DS who is 7 1/2, and my mom who is in a wheelchair, so space is a concern too!

Ugh!

where in NJ is this hospital where they "force" you out to eat? :rotflmao:

MontrealMum
06-19-2010, 11:08 PM
I can't think of any reason I'd want to share a room. None. Definitely private!
:yeahthat: And I think the idea of buffet dining while you're recovering and getting to know your new LO is nuts. My private room is the one and only expense we had from my delivery of DS and we paid it gladly!!!

swissair81
06-19-2010, 11:31 PM
I had a semi-private with my oldest. It was the pits. My roommate was so totally rude and inconsiderate. After that, my hospital redid their maternity suite & all the rooms are private now. I really enjoyed it with dd2 & ds. I like having my own bathroom now.

I'm changing hospitals this time. The unit is all LDRP rooms (you labor & postpartum in the same room), so they have to be private. I heard it's really nice.

catsnkid
06-20-2010, 12:35 PM
Unbelievable. Who wants to get up and out to eat, esp after recovering!!! Private. I didn't even sleep well that way the night I went in for induction b/c I kept hearing a baby cry all night. I didn't meet anyone nor, did I really want to. We had LDRP rooms. I heard my neighbor giving birth. WOW. That freaked out my brother who was visiting!!

ewpmsw
06-20-2010, 01:10 PM
If you can afford it - Private room - private room - private room.

You don't know what your labor, delivery and recovery will be like. If it's great and you feel great you can try to socialize at meals - if you're tired you can retreat to the peace and quiet of your room.

:yeahthat: I'm an introvert, so privacy and quiet would be perfect, IMO. Can't imagine even wanting to socialize at the hospital. Aside from grandparents and DD, we're going to wait for a few days/weeks to have visitors. I'm sending DH home to sleep this time around to have even more alone time. Our hospital's birthing center doesn't offer private vs. shared rooms, or a central location for meals (other than cafeteria.)

All a matter of personal preference, of course. :)

LD92599
06-20-2010, 01:28 PM
Thanks! I knew I'd want a private for all the reasons everyone posted. The hospital where i had DS only had private rooms, all in ones (LDRP). This hospital though still has private and semi-private, though they are petitioning for a huge expansion that would allow for all private rooms.

I'll look into the buffet again.....i'm sure if one is not able to get there they'd get a tray, yikes i sure hope so!

Hmmmm maybe i should have done the actual hospital tour :wink2:

swissair81
06-20-2010, 09:39 PM
Unbelievable. Who wants to get up and out to eat, esp after recovering!!! Private. I didn't even sleep well that way the night I went in for induction b/c I kept hearing a baby cry all night. I didn't meet anyone nor, did I really want to. We had LDRP rooms. I heard my neighbor giving birth. WOW. That freaked out my brother who was visiting!!

Definitely not me. The L & D nurse I spoke to also said something about room service. There are no actual meal times. You call dietary when you are hungry & they bring it. I think that is so cool.

lchang25000
06-21-2010, 12:08 AM
Private room all the way. All our rooms were private but if I had to choose or even pay some out of pocket to get a private room I would have.

:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat:

arivecchi
06-21-2010, 11:08 AM
My hospital did not have semi-private rooms but I would have steered clear of that option if they did have them. I like my privacy especially after giving birth. (I don't even allow visitors.) I also loved the 24 room service! I wanted to stay there as long as I possibly could! :rotflmao:

Andi98989
06-21-2010, 01:07 PM
Private! Our hospital has private labor/delivery rooms and then you move up to your private post-partum room. Meals are ordered ahead, you schedule the time for it to come, and they bring it to the room. Even your DH can have a meal delivered (paid for separately)

Momof3Labs
06-21-2010, 06:26 PM
Private. No doubt. Otherwise your DH cannot stay overnight (you may need the help if you have a hard time moving around or have a c-section). You may have to deal with a baby struggling to nurse with a room full of your roommate's visitors. It's not a time to worry about being social, you need to take care of yourself and your baby, and can do that best in a private room.

Sweetum
06-21-2010, 07:18 PM
Private.
Is there a specific reason you're still thinking about it?

shoxie
06-21-2010, 07:21 PM
Private.
Is there a specific reason you're still thinking about it?

I would absolutely, without a doubt, recommend the private option. The only thing that may be barring the OP, possibly, is cost. I know when I gave birth in NYC, many of the hospitals charged somewhere around $400 per night for a private room (some more than that). That's a LARGE chunk of change!! Hopefully, OP is not facing the same cost comparison...

LD92599
06-21-2010, 07:32 PM
Private.
Is there a specific reason you're still thinking about it?

Nope not still thinking about it! I called today and it turns out need to request it when we actually go into deliver! Most of their rooms are private though but where I had DS *all* of the rooms were private!

Costs aside, i definitely want private.

AnnieW625
06-23-2010, 02:32 PM
With DD1 I didn't get a room mate until the second day I was in the hospital so the first night was pretty good because I was there alone. The second day was loud in the room once my roommate got in. She had her large extended family there (way more than the hospital policy allowed for but they weren't strict about it), had to have the light on at night, her baby wouldn't feed (which I couldn't really hold against her), and had to sleep with the door open. Needless to say I was happy when they discharged me the next morning.

With DD2 I had a private room. DH opted not to spend the night and honestly I was fine with that. I only stayed in the hospital one night. I kind of wish I would've stayed another night, but I didn't have that many visitors to keep me company and I'd been in the hospital since midnight of the day I had DD2 (so had I stayed an extra day it would've almost been 72 hrs) so I was ready to go home. Having a private room was definitely nice and I highly recommend if that's the norm at your hospital.

As far as the food thing goes as crazy at it sounds it might be nice to leave your room and go and eat in an open area.

BabyBearsMom
06-23-2010, 03:41 PM
Go private. I had one and it was the best. There was room for company, you didn't have to worry about anyone else. It was great to just focus on the baby and myself.

HIU8
06-23-2010, 03:54 PM
I vote private room. I was not given a choice with DS and ended up in a semi-private room without a roomate. With DD they had some private rooms available. it was TINY, but I was happy to have the private room (and everyone who came fit in fine).

american_mama
06-23-2010, 05:54 PM
If a private room is not availble when you call and you end up having to share, try to get the side of the room that includes the bathroom entrance. I shared a room with DD2 and happened to be placed on the bathroom (and the window) side of the room, and it made things much more private.

My shared room also had a shared phone, and it was at a time when I did not have a cell phone. Answering calls for each other and handing the phone through the curtain to each other was a pain, and it came up a lot. So, I'd rely on a cell phone exclusively in your room if it's a shared phone; don't even give out the room phone number.

I chose a shared room because DD2 was born overseas and I would have had to pay more for a private room, but nobody could tell me how much more, so I chose the shared room that was 100% covered. My DH wasn't planning to stay with me other than the birth, since he had to take care of our older child, so space for him was not a consideration. My first roommate worked out fine and made me glad I'd saved my money. My second roommate had lots of visitors (the room got very hot), and made me glad I was being discharged in 24 hours.

If you get a shared room, you can also see if they have a visitor room on the floor that you could use as an escape valve if the roommate situation is bad. It'll be a pretty poor substitute if you're not feeling well, but if you feel pretty normal, it won't be too bad.

If money is somewhat a consideration, would it break the bank if you or your child had complications and you needed to stay longer, with you presumably paying the private room rate for that extra night or two? Due to jaundice, that is what happened to me with DD2 and my third child, making doubly glad I hadn't taken the private room and the unknown bill.

swissair81
06-23-2010, 06:27 PM
When I shared a room, I had the bathroom entrance & the doorway. I had all her visitors, doctors & nurses traipsing noisily through my side of the room to get to her. It was fun.